Russia: LGBT activists arrested amid paratrooper celebrations

St Petersburg police have arrested several LGBT rights supporters during a national military holiday marking the Russian Airborne forces, who were protesting against the city authority’s continued refusal to host a gay pride parade in the city.

Among those arrested on Sunday was gay rights activist Yuri Gavirikov, who held an individual picket outside the Hermitage Museum, Euronews reports.

He was detained by police pending a court hearing for allegedly cursing on the street, which he denies.

Veterans reportedly confronted and removed several other gay activists around the Hermitage and tore up their posters, despite Russian law allowing one-person pickets without permission from authorities.

Alexei Nazarov had travelled from Moscow to stage a picket.

“Yes, I’m gay, and I have similar rights to other people,” he said.

Veteran paratrooper Alexander Fadeyev tried to tear the slogans from protesters’ hands while condemning their protests as “not right” and “terrible”.

“We’re in Russia and not in America. Let them do what they want in America, but not in Russia,” he said.

It is believed the activists have since been released.

Russia has been widely criticised for infringement on gay rights following the passage of a law that prohibits vaguely defined “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations” to minors.