Russian jogging event mistaken for gay rally
January 24th, 2012 - 4:02 am ICT by IANSMoscow, Jan 24 (IANS/RIA Novosti) A rally for a healthy lifestyle in Russia’s European exclave of Kaliningrad was cut short by police who mistook it for a gay pride parade.
Around two dozen activists, many of them underage, took to the streets of Sovetsk, a town with 41,000 people in the Baltic exclave, during the weekend to promote jogging, the 40161.ru website reported.
The joggers were carrying a black, yellow and white banner of imperial Russia, favoured by nationalists, which was adorned with the slogan “Russians choose sport”.
Police sent a patrol to detain them for questioning, the report said.
Officers said they were acting on an anonymous telephone tip, which reported the event to be an unsanctioned rally for gay rights.
Police also mistook the flag for a banner of some religious sect, the organiser said.
The activists were released after the organiser assured police in writing that the rally was a sports event, not a political rally.
A jogging rally in Moscow’s Izmailovsky Park in February last year ended with most participants fined by police for jaywalking.
–IANS/RIA Novosti
pm
- Gay rights activists detained in Moscow - May 28, 2012
- Russia leader wants pot, prostitution made legal - Jan 20, 2012
- Moscow allows poll protest Dec 24 - Dec 14, 2011
- Russia unveils anti-missile radar in Kaliningrad - Nov 29, 2011
- 20 protesters held in Moscow - Mar 09, 2012
- Russian police arrests 28 activists during unsanctioned rally - Jun 13, 2011
- 100 detained at Moscow rally - Mar 06, 2012
- Russia restricts Belarusian airline - Apr 06, 2012
- Russian man dies stunning fish with electric shock - May 30, 2011
- Over 380,000 policemen for Russia's election day - Mar 04, 2012
- Moscow police to enforce ban on gay rights campaign - May 27, 2011
- Russian teacher faces jail over sex with teenagers - Dec 23, 2011
- 28 detained in Moscow after unsanctioned rally - Jun 13, 2011
- Church activists protest Moscow gay film fest - Apr 28, 2012
- Russia will counter US missile defence: Medvedev - Feb 22, 2012
Tags: anonymous telephone, dozen activists, exclave, favoured, gay pride parade, gay rights, healthy lifestyle, imperial russia, jan 24, joggers, kaliningrad, moscow, nationalists, participants, political rally, religious sect, ria novosti, russians, slogan, sports event