Gay rights activists held in Russia

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Gay rights activists held in Russia By Jim Heintz

The Associated Press Article Last Updated: 05/27/2007 02:56:34 PM MDT

A woman in a headscarf typical of devout Russian Orthodox believers attacks British human rights activist Peter Tatchell as gay rights activists try to hold a demonstration in downtown Moscow today. (AP /Sergey Ponomarev) Moscow - Police detained gay rights activists, among them European lawmakers, as they tried to present a letter to Moscow's mayor today in a demonstration that also attracted a hostile crowd of people who punched the activists and pelted them with eggs.

The letter, signed by some 40 European lawmakers, appealed the city's ban on a march that would have taken place today to mark the 14th anniversary of Russia decriminalizing homosexuality.

Police quickly grabbed about a dozen demonstrators and forced them into a bus, including Russian gay rights movement leader Nikolai Alexeyev. Police then hustled away others, including German parliament member Volker Beck, as opponents threw eggs and shouted: "Moscow is not Sodom!"

Marco Cappato, a European Parliament deputy from Italy, was kicked by one opponent as he spoke to journalists. Cappato began shouting: "Where are the police? Why don't you protect us?" and officers hauled him away as he struggled.

The gay rights activists appeared to number fewer than 100, while roughly that many police were present.

Cappato later told Italy's Sky TG24 that he had been released.

He said that when he saw that Ottavio Marzocchi, an official with the Liberal Democrats in the European parliament, had come under attack, he began shouting, and "within five seconds I was taken away by police in anti-riot gear."

A total of 31 people were detained, though most were later released, Moscow police spokesman Yevgeny Gildeyev said. He said two Italians were detained for jaywalking and a German was taken away by police to prevent him from being beaten.

But Beck, who was later released, told The Associated Press that police beat him and the others and seized their passports. Beck also denied the group was holding a demonstration, insisting they were only trying to hand over the letter.

Alexeyev said he and two other activists expected to be held until Monday, Ekho Moskvy radio reported.

Cappato denied he had broken a traffic rule. "I was just trying to defend a friend from violent people because the police were not doing that," he said.

The Interfax news agency quoted a Moscow city spokesman, Mikhail Solomentsev, as praising the "coordinated and polite actions of the police, who acted in strict accordance with the law." Despite being decriminalized, homosexuality is still widely despised in Russia.

Many of the gay rights opponents carried icons or other insignia of the Russian Orthodox Church, and one man wore the garb of an Orthodox priest.

The only Russian lawmaker to publicly state support for the demonstrators came from an unexpected wing: Alexei Mitrofanov of the ultranationalist Liberal Democratic Party.

"How can one act in such a manner, assuming Russia wants to be a part of Europe?" Mitrofanov said at the scene, according to the Interfax news agency.