Last year, Moscow police arrested some 20 anti-gay protesters and about 50 gay rights supporters including Volker Beck (middle), a German MP and lawyer, after he was beaten by anti-gay protesters; as well as the key organiser of the rally, Nikolai Alexeyev (bottom pic).
Parade organisers however said they would rally regardless like they had done in 2006 despite the ban, according to the Russian Kommersant news web site.
"The parade will take place," organiser Nikolay Alexeev told the press. "Hundreds of people from Russia and other countries, including EU parliament deputies, are to take part."
Last year, gay marchers were attacked by riot police and militant Christians.
Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov, who had denounced the rally as "satanic," came under harsh criticism from human rights champions.
Parliamentary deputy Alexey Mitrofanov, who attended a news conference of the Moscow Pride Parade in support of the organisers, told the meeting that blocking the gay pride parade would set a dangerous precedent for bans on demonstration by other minorities and opposition groups that authorities dislike.
He however added that he would not be rallying with gay rights activists, since taking part in the unsanctioned march is "absolutely inappropriate for a Federation Assembly deputy."
The news conference was disrupted by several unidentified homophobes who promised that "Moscow will drown in gay blood" on May 27.
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Think abt it..why else is Russia still so third-world n backword - despite its obviously talented poeple? I guarantee once their govt quit such thuggish & phillistine behaviour their country will really SHINE...even more so then their Western counterparts.
If it weren't for the tricksy matters of, oh, say, Gay crackdowns... dismantling and jailing any opposition in the press... jailing anyone wealthy and outspoken enough to criticise your government... banning protests... the brutal fiasco that remains Chechnya... the funny habit that certain people that loudly oppose your government have of mysteriously getting murdered...
Hmm, that list goes on and on and on for why I don't really like you, Vlad... then again, I'm not so happy about being frequently compared to looking like you [and Daniel Craig - from the neck Up, of course], so maybe I have a slight personal grudge against you and your retro-Regime which has nothing whatsoever to do with the despicable acts continuing to occur in poor old Russia today...
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