Largest St Petersburg Pride march held, despite clashes with police and protesters

Activists and journalists were pepper sprayed by anti-gay protesters following the event.

People wave gay rights' movement rainbow flags during the gay pride rally in Saint Petersburg, on Agust 12, 2017. Source: AFP / AFP PHOTO / OLGA MALTSEVA (Photo credit should read OLGA MALTSEVA/AFP/Getty Images)

The St Petersburg’s LGBT+ community gathered at the Field of Mars on Saturday to march in the city’s 8^th annual Pride parade.  

It’s estimated that over 100 people attended the protest, waving rainbow flags and carrying signs that read ‘I’m made of love and it’s stronger than you’ and ‘We are love’.

While Russia’s anti-LGBT laws prohibit ‘gay propaganda’—the rally took place in a ‘free-speech zone’.

Organisers were unable to secure a permit for the protest because authorities claimed there was already a World War II commemoration happening on the same day.

The protest went ahead regardless—but was met with a heavy police presence and a counter protest from young men who pepper sprayed LGBT+ activists and journalists.

According to Rainbow St Petersburg, a group of young people attacked activists when the rally ended at 3:30pm.

“Even before the end of the rally, young people of sports build began to gather near the venue of the rally, but the police did not allow them to join the event," the group’s Instagram says, translated from Russian. 

"Participants in the rally for equality ended it at around 15:30, after which they began to disperse."

Part of the attack was captured in the video below:

“Young people in sports suits attacked them and sprayed pepper spray bottles in their faces. In particular, about 10 LGBT activists," the post continues. 

Photojournalist David Frenkel—who had been documenting the event—was also pepper sprayed by anti-gay protestors, noting that police did not intervene.

At least one activist detained by police

The Russian LGBT Network reports that activist Anna Grabetskaya has been detained after she carried a sign that read ‘I love my wife’.

“After she finished her picket and made a few steps, she was immediately detained by the police officers,” a statement from the Network reads.

“The official protocol states that Grabetskaya ignored all the warnings that were issued by the police as ‘she was given 10 minutes to cease her unlawful actions’. The video of the arrest shows that Grabetskaya made only a few steps and did not resist the arrest.”

The statement goes on to say that Grabetskaya faces 10 days in detention for disobeying the police force and violation of the procedure for conducting a public event.