Russia Police Breaks up Eurovison Final Gay Parade in Moscow

Russia police are detaining the organizer of the Eurovision final gay parade in Moscow, Nikolai Alexeyev. Photo by EPA/BGNES

The Russian police, or "militia", dispersed Saturday a gay parade in Moscow, which was supposed to coincide with the final of the Eurovision Song Contest.

The militia have arrested 25 people including the gay parade's organizer, Nikolai Alexeyev, and the British gay rights activist, Peter Tatchell, BGNES reported.

Several dozens of gay rights activists had gathered for a demonstration in Moscow despite the ban with slogans demanding equal rights and better treatment for gays and lesbians in Russia.

The BBC reminds that the Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov has described gay parades as "satanic". Meanwhile, nationalist and religious groups organized a counter-rally threatening that they would intervene if the police failed to break up the gay parade.