London Assembly urge Moscow to respect human rights

Illustrated rainbow pride flag on a white background.

Representatives of the people of London from all political parties have joined forces to urge the Mayor of Moscow to lift the ban on the city’s Gay Pride parade.

A motion proposed by openly gay Green Assembly member Darren Johnson was passed unanimously.

Last month Russian activists and supporters from other European countries were attacked by a homophobic mob as they attempted to deliver a letter to the Moscow Mayor protesting at his ban on gay Pride events.

The city’s police have been heavily criticised for not protecting the activists.

Many were arrested for spurious offences and Peter Tatchell, the human rights campaigner, was violently assaulted as police looked on.

The Assembly motion points to the role that Pride parades and events play in the life of London and other cities, promoting tolerance and equality.

“We are therefore shocked at the arrest of gay pride demonstrators in Moscow last month and join the Mayor of London in urging that the Mayor of Moscow lift the ban on the Moscow Gay Pride parade,” it reads.

“The Chair is asked to write to the Mayor of Moscow to convey these concerns.”

Darren Johnson, who proposed the motion said:

“We’ve made huge progress in this country over recent years in terms of equality and gay rights.

“Gay Pride has played a positive role in London and other cities throughout the world. Sadly, that has not been the case for Moscow and a number of cities in Eastern Europe.

“We need to show some international solidarity and as an Assembly write to the Mayor of Moscow urging him to lift the ban.”

The organisers of Moscow Pride have vowed to hold the event in 2008, despite assertion from Mayor Luzhkov that he will never all gay people to parade in the city.

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