Update: Moscow police Saturday detained US gayactivist Dan Choi as well as Britain's Peter Tatchell
& France's Louis-George Tin, as violence broke out
at the rally that activists tried to stage near the
Kremlin wall. The protesters waving rainbow flags &
some carrying signs reading "Russia is not Iran" were
attacked during the rally by members of Neo-Nazis &
religious groups who had gathered near the Kremlin
in anticipation. Police move in & violently wrestle both
activists & members of the religious group & neo-Nazis
to the ground before leading them off in handcuffs to
waiting security vans.
DADT Activist Dan Choi stated prior to his arrest ,
“I am here in Russia in solidarity with our brothers &
sisters who are fighting for the basic right to express
their identity. This is a different kind of battlefield from
all the battlefields I’ve seen. On this battlefield our only
weapon is truth, our only armor integrity & our only
ammunition is love.” Updates to Come….
Exclusive Chat with Richard Emmanuel,visionary & dedicated political activist talks
about the importance of the words we use to
win LGBT Equality @ OUTTAKE VOICES™
Hear Audio Interviews w/ LGBT Leaders @OUTTAKE VOICES™SUPPORT OUR QUEST @ OUTTAKE™ EQUALITY STORE...:)
View Our Historic Short Trailer on Gay Marriage
We expect to be bashed by neo-Nazis who have promised to attack the Moscow Gay Pride Parade. The Moscow police are refusing to protect us. The possibility of sustaining serious injuries is a worry. Russian neo-Nazis have previously murdered other protesters. The police have vowed to arrest us. In particular, the Russian marchers are likely to suffer harsh treatment and punishment. We are afraid but not afraid. Despite the risks to us personally, the human rights of gay Russians must be defended. By defying this ban, we are defending the right of all Russians to freedom of expression and peaceful protest. We express our support for every Russian person whose right to protest has been denied. As well as defending gay human rights, we defend the human rights of all Russia's minorities, including Jewish, Black, Roma, Asian and Muslim people. There will be attempts to remove Russia's voting rights in the Council of Europe if the march is banned and the participants are arrested, since the European Court of Human Rights has already ruled that the ban is illegal and that Russia must allow Moscow Gay Pride to proceed.
ReplyDeletePeter Tatchell, Longtime British Gay Activist