Russia IDAHO Report 2013

Rainbow flashmob events were organised on the afternoon and evening of May 17 in nine different cities in Russia (Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Murmansk, Khabarovsk, Samara, Vladivostok, Ryazan, Nakhodka and Tolyatti/Togliatti). Rainbow coloured balloon releases featured prominently, but in various instances these events merged with memorial style events, to remember the victims of hate crimes. In Saint Petersburg, for example, activists took the decision shortly before May 17, to release black balloons alongside rainbow coloured ones. This was as an act of remembrance for, amongst other victims, 23-year old gay man, Vladislav Tornovoi, who was raped, tortured and murdered on May 10, 2013, in what police  described as a homophobic hate crime.

Though, as in many cities and states (and now federally), a bill banning the promotion of ‘homosexual propaganda’ was already in force in Saint Petersburg (in February 2012), activists were given permission to publicly mark IDAHO 2013. Opposition groups broke through police lines, however, to attack the peaceful demonstration with smoke pellets and stones. They also shouted slurs and held up pictures of pedophiles.
Local activists, however, also stressed uccess, highlighting an attendance of more than 150 and adequate attempts at policing. In Moscow, which one week later (May 25, 2013) would ban a scheduled city Pride March, a coloured balloon release in the city centre proceeded peacefully.

Photos from Moscow Rainbow Flashmob

IDAHOT Flashmob in Murmansk commemorates victims of homophobia and transphobia

LGBT activists and their supporters organized a Rainbow Flashmob in Murmansk, Russia, to mark IDAHOT on May 17th. “The weather was nice, the mood of the participants was cheerful,” said Sergey Alekseenko, chair of the LGBT organization Maximum.

The event started with a minute of silence to commemorate the victims of homophobia and transphobia. Candles and balloons with black ribbons symbolized the mourning of the families and friends of the victims.
The balloons then filled the blue sky with Rainbow colors. The event was sanctioned by the local municipality and involved 50 participants. No homophobic or transphobic attacks took place throughout the event.

Rainbow Flashmob in Vladivistok

Russian LGBT activists organized a Rainbow Flashmob  in the city of Vladivostok on the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT).
The organizers have kindly shared some photos with the IDAHO Committee.

LGBT activists in Saint Petersburg have IDAHO 2013 celebration amid anti-gay opposition

LGBT activists from Saint Petersburg had a successful IDAHO celebration in the Field of Mars (Marsovo Pole) today, May 17^th.
Despite strong opposition from anti-gay groups and representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church, the IDAHO demonstration and Rainbow Flashmob have passed without any serious incidents and violence.
The event was supposed to start at 2:00pm, but representatives of anti-LGBT organizations were in the venue long before the LGBT activists arrived, holding homophobic and transphobic posters. Around 100 police officers were patrolling the park where the IDAHO event was to happen.

The police blocked the anti-gay protesters’ attempts use tear-gas and hurl stones on the participants of the IDAHO event.
At the closing of the event, hundreds of rainbow-colored balloons flew into air, including black balloons commemorating the young gay activists who was murdered in Volgograd on May 9^th.
For the video footage in Russian, please, follow this link:
http://www.tv100.ru/news/na-marsovom-pole-proshla-soglasovannaya-akciya-lgbt-aktivistov-73198/