Gay rights activists hold individual protests in St Petersburg to gain attention of G20 leaders

Around a dozen human rights activists have conducted individual protests against Russian anti-gay laws in St Petersburg, on the same day the G20 government leaders arrived in the city.

The activists spread themselves out along the city’s main thoroughfare because mass protests are banned, or often disrupted by police, Iosiph Skakovsky told the Associated Press.

Another attendee Natalya Tsymbalova said she was protesting “discrimination of sexual minorities, falsification of elections, pressure on NGOs, violation of the freedom of public assembly.”

She carried a handmade poster reading that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s claims that gays are not discriminated against by the law banning the promotion of “non-traditional relationships”, were untrue.

It read; “There is discrimination. Speak out for Russia!”

Police did check the documents of individual protests, but none were interfered with.

Putin signed the controversial law in June banning the promotion of “non-traditional relationships” toward minors, a move that has been criticised as part of a broader crackdown on Russia’s gay community.

On Tuesday it was confirmed by the Foreign Office that David Cameron will raise the issue of the Russian law banning the promotion of “non-traditional relationships”, with Russian President Vladimir Putin, when he travels to St Petersburg for the G20.

Out4Russia launched last week and allows users to lobby G20 governments into action against the Russian law.

• Dec 01 2023

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