Sunday May 27
12.:30: Luzhkow appears to have gone mad!
The cops are making mass arrests - and foreign politicians are among those
detained. Italian MEP Marco Cappato and German MP Volker Beck have
both been detained. Nikolai Alekseev and other organisers have been
taken to a police station.
11:30: The politicians, who will be
trying to hand in a letter of protest to the Mayor at City Hall, are all
gathered. Volker Beck from Germany has a car provided for him by his
Embassy. Mr. Beck was injured at last year's Pride so the Germans are
taking no chances.
Italian politician Vladimir Luxuria is trying to calm
us all down. "Don't worry, everything will be ok ... ou are doing a very
important thing for all the gay movement," she is saying.
BBC World is showing a
news item of yesterday's anti-gay demo.
"We're going to burn the ground from under their feet," said on of the thugs
to camera.
Russian MP, Alexey Mitrofanov and Pop star group tATu,
confirmed by phone that they are also on their way. Not a great fan of
tATu, but you've got to hand it to those gutsy girls ... But from our
point of view, the presence of a world-famous pop act and a high-profile
Russian politician with us is perhaps out best protection.
10:20 am: At the hotel where many are
gathering. A private security company was contracted to provide protection
for our demonstration. But they have just telephoned to say they are
cancelling the contract. So much for legal contracts! The word
around here is that the company has been "got at". Well, this is
Moscow!
10:00 am: Much activity and apprehension as the
time of the protest, or march, or whatever it is going to be, approaches.
Someone has just found a Russia blog with a photo from one of the anti-gay
demonstrations yesterday ...
Saturday May 26
| |
■ The press conference:
Sophie In't
Veld MEP (Netherlands), Volker Beck (member of the German
Bundestag),
Nikolai Alekseev and
Alexey
Mitrofanov, the Russian MP.
photo:
Jonas Hansson, Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and
Transgender Rights (RFSL) |
|
6 pm: So, no change in the position from the Mayor's
office. Looks like the planned parade is "off" - and an other case
could well be on it's way to the Russian courts who will, of course, back
the mayor ... and then off again to the European Court. Russia
voluntarily joined the Council of Europe "club" of nations, but does not
play by the rules of the club. Suppose there is nothing new there!
Apparently, what is planned for tomorrow is a sort of a gathering outside
the City Hall when a letter of protest will be attempted to be handed in.
Shades of last year. The police chief is promising that his cops
will stop any provocation. But from whom? With a lot of
politicians from other countries here, not to mention all the foreign TV
cameras, we are hoping that the cops will keep the "antis" at a distance as
it is they who will be doing the provoking. Hearing that there have
been two separate protests against tomorrow's gay pride in the city during
the afternoon - one of them by the skinheads. How come they are
allowed their demos when we are not? Over to you Mayor Luzhkov.
Meanwhile, time for a beer.
Lunchtime: Inspiring opening speech from Peter
Tatchell on the theme that human rights are universal and indivisible.
Then the conference switched to participating Russians.
Good to hear from the 'Archbishop' - his presence really means a lot,
especially after the recent "gay blood" remarks from current senior
Archbishops. He might be in a minority within the church, but it is
the same with politics - and we heard from politicians and how they were
battling against the odds to get equality for us. There is always hope
- and this morning was a definite boost to morale. If gay rights is
bad in Russia, it appears a lot worse in Belarus.
9.00 am: Conference is about to begin ...
delegates still arriving, some looking bleary-eyed ... Peter Tatchell just
arrived to delight of organisers - he is the opening speaker! Sophie In't
Veld the MEP from Netherlands is here as well. Kurt Krickler from
Hosi-Wien is here. Most of the European politicians have been scheduled for
speaking in the afternoon session prior to the press conference. After the
opening speech by this year's guest of honour, Peter Tatchell of Outrage! in
London, the rest of the morning session is dedicated to Russian speaking
delegates. that includes a highly-anticipated speech from S. Bortnik about
situation in Belarus.
8.40 am: Participants are gathering in the lobby
of the Swissotel. Sun is shinning in Moscow and the day will probably be hot
... Archbishop Alexi has just arrived, and he was followed by Edward
Murzin. Organisers are welcoming the first delegates. Registration desk is
open and running ... three team members working the desk answering all
of the questions.
8.15 am: Just been up to the top floor of the
hotel where the organising committee has its headquarters ... the view of
the city is fantastic. With a good view of the surrounding streets,
this is a good place to check that the security is
7.50 am: Arrived at Swissotel ... organisers are
already here and in a state of well-organised panic!
|
OTHER MOSCOW PRIDE
2007 COVERAGE ON UK GAY NEWS
Moscow Pride: A Photo Essay.
Eight photographs from l Moscow Pride. 2007
Moscow Gay
Pride: Tatchell’s Assailant Not Arrested,
Say Police. Moscow police confirm that they have opened a
criminal investigation into the assault on British gay human rights
campaigner, Peter Tatchell, at last Sunday's Moscow Gay Pride event.
But official police claims that they have arrested the right-wing extremist
who punched Mr Tatchell in the face are untrue, according to the
investigating officer.
(UK Gay News, June 1)
Moscow Gay
Pride Organiser Khramov Found Guilty. One of the three
organisers of Moscow Pride has escaped a jail sentence and was fined when
found guilty this afternoon in a Moscow court which threw-out evidence,
given at a previous hearing by a number of MPs from Europe, as “frivolous”.
(UK Gay News, June 8)
Portuguese
Gay Group Slams Russia, the EU and Portugal’s PM Over Moscow Pride.
The Portuguese gay and lesbian group Panteras Rosa (Pink Panthers) today hit
out against the Russian authorities after the weekend’s violence in Moscow
during Gay Pride. (UK Gay News, May 29).
European
Union Must Impose Travel Ban on Moscow Mayor of Gay Pride Trouble – Greens.
The British Green Party has today called for a European Union travel ban on
the Mayor of Moscow, Yuri Luzhkov, following violence in the streets of the
capital on Sunday during Gay Pride – and heavy-handed police tactics which
saw many arrests. (UK Gay News, May 28)
May 28: USA:
Beach, or Beaten in Moscow?
Commentary by Sara Whitman.
I sat at the beach today, and
wondered how many people thought Allan and I, with Zachary in tow, thought
we were heterosexual. Okay, Allan in his tiny Speedo and me in my giant one
piece Speedo and, of course, gym shorts, were not exactly looking incredibly
straight but the image was enough to bother me. I had read this
morning that over thirty gay activists had been arrested in Moscow.
May 28: UK/Russia:
London Mayor
Appeals to Moscow For End of Gay Pride Ban.
Following yesterday’ violence
against lesbian and gay rights demonstrators in Moscow – and the arrest of
several of the demonstrators – the Mayor of London Ken Livingstone has this
morning written to his Moscow counterpart Mayor Luzhkov urging that no
charges be brought against those who were demonstrating for lesbian and
gay rights.
May 28:
Russia:
Gay Pride
Organisers Alekseev and Two Others Await Court – 15 Days In Prison Expected.
Nikolai Alekseev and two colleagues from Moscow Gay Pride are spending
tonight in police custody at they await a court appearance later this
morning.
May 28:
Russia:
Ahwazi Arabs
Condemn Arrest of Gay Rights Demonstrators in Moscow. Ahwazi
Arab activists last night condemned the treatment of gay rights activist
Peter Tatchell and other demonstrators in Moscow yesterday.
May 27:
Russia:
Peter
Tatchell Speaks About His Experience of Gay Pride, the Assault and His
Arrest. Arrests and violent attacks marred today’s
attempted Moscow Gay Pride march. Fifteen to 20 marchers were arrested.
The organiser of Moscow Pride, Nikolai Alekseev, is being detained
overnight at Moscow’s Tverskoi district police station, together with
two prominent members of Russia’s Radical and Free Radical parties,
Nikolai Khramov and Sergei Konstantinov.
British gay human rights campaigner
Peter Tatchell was one of several Gay Pride marchers who were beaten
today by gangs of neo-Nazis, nationalist extremists and Russian Orthodox
fundamentalists.
May 27:
Russia:
Arrested Gay Pride Activist Asks World for Help.
From inside the Tverskoye police station, where he is being detained,
Nikolai Alekseev – one of the Moscow Gay Pride organisers and its
spokesperson – has issued a statement asking for international support
and for the immediate release of all the gays activists currently being
held.
May 27:
Russia:
Moscow Gay Pride:
Dispatches from the Front.
There was trouble in Moscow today when participants at Gay Pride,, led by a
number of European politicians, tried to deliver a letter of protest to
Mayor Yuri Luzhkov at City Hall. Violence flared as they faced groups
of neo-Facist thugs, religious groups, aggressive police and the OMON.
This is a "record" of the dispatches received by UK Gay News from many
sources.
May 27:
Russia:
Tatchell at Moscow Gay Pride: We
Are In This Fight Together. Greetings! I bring you a
message of comradeship and solidarity from the lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender and intersex [LGBTI] human rights organizations OutRage! in
London. Your struggle is our struggle. This is the full text of
Peter Tatchell's keynote speech to the Moscow Gay Pride Conference yesterday
May 27:
Russia:
Moscow Gay Pride 2006: Where Were the Human Rights
Campaigners?
The
Same Question Can be Asked Today.
The following commentary by GayRussia.ru was
written a year ago. Has the situation changed? The stark answer is: “Not
really”. Ludmila Alekseeva
of the Moscow Helsinki Group and Lev Ponomarev of the Movement for Human
Rights have both declined to come, just as last year.
May 26:
Russia:
Moscow City Hall Quiet as 120 Journalists Check In For
Moscow Gay Pride. With Gay Pride about to start, Moscow is
surprisingly quiet. Not a single official statement has been released by
Mayor of Moscow, unlike at the same time last year.
May 25:
Russia:
Tatchell: The Right To Hold Moscow Pride Is Not Just an
Issue of Gay, Lesbian Rights.
International solidarity can help give a psychological
and practical boost to local LGBT activists, Peter Tatchell said shortly
after arriving in Moscow for the city’s second Gay Pride.
May 25:
Russia:
She Promises, She Delivers –
Vladimir Luxuria in Moscow for Gay Pride. An interview with
Europe's first trangendered politician. |
|
