I condemn these hateful attacks on freedom of expression.
From Reuters.
Quote:
MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Gay Pride march in Moscow at which far-right activists kicked and punched the marchers was like a return to Soviet-era repression, British gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell said on Monday.
Tatchell, who had a black eye after being punched during the march on Sunday, said police failed to intervene as marchers were attacked by nationalists shouting "death to homosexuals". Police have denied ignoring the attacks.
"The behaviour of the Moscow police was some of the worst I've ever experienced," Tatchell told Reuters in an interview outside a Moscow police station where he filed a complaint about the assault on him.
"The police stood back and allowed the fascist thugs to attack us. They made very few efforts to stop them."
"(It) was very reminiscent of the repression by the police in the Brezhnev era of old-style Soviet Communism," said Tatchell, referring to Leonid Brezhnev who led the Soviet Union throughout the 1970s.
"They (the police) seemed to be working hand in glove with the neo-Nazis and ultra-nationalists to get them to bash us. But either way, the end result was the same. We got arrested, we got bashed, and most of the assailants walked free."
Quote:
"I think we need to say very loud and clear to President (Vladimir) Putin that Russia is welcome in the European family of nations," the campaigner said.
"But that includes responsibilities, including respect for gay and lesbian human rights and including defence of the right to protest and freedom of expression."
(source)
Here is a
link to Pravda's coverage. As one can see, under Putin's regime, it is morphing it's way back into the way it was under the Soviet era.
27 May 2007, 2:11 pm
