Moscow Pride 2007
The 2007 Moscow Pride was held on May 27. Its press conference and protest in front of the City Hall was attended by several high-profile supporters, including Marco Cappato, Vladimir Luxuria, Peter Tatchell, Volker Beck, Richard Fairbrass of Right Said Fred and the pop duo t.A.T.u. It degenerated into violent clashes with anti-gay extremists. For the second time police failed to protect gay rights activists. Italian MP Marco Cappato was kicked by an anti-gay activist and then detained when he demanded police protection. British gay rights veteran Peter Tatchell and Russian gay leader Nikolai Alekseev were detained as well. Tatchell and Beck were punched in the face by protesters. According to Tatchell: "The police were standing nearby and did nothing. Eventually they moved in. I was arrested while my attackers were allowed to go free." Between eight and ten protesters were arrested for participating in the rally.
Condemnation of the authorities' handling of the parade came from all over Europe. Mayor of Rome Walter Veltroni said: "What happened in Moscow, leaves you speechless: to use or even tolerate violence against those who are demonstrating in a peaceful manner for the recognition of their human and civil rights is a sad sign." Bertrand Delanoë, the Mayor of Paris, also condemned it.
The Pride was the central event in Jochen Hick's 2008 documentary film East/West - Sex & Politics, which follows the organisation of the Pride and the authorities' suppression of it.
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