Dozens Detained At Moscow Gay Rally

October 02, 2011
Forty people have been detained by police in the Russian capital during a gay pride rally.
 
The October 1 rally in Moscow was one of the few gay rights events sanctioned by authorities.
 
Gay rights supporters, however, found themselves confronted by protesters, some of whom hurled tomatoes at them.
 
A police spokesman said authorities were still figuring out how may of the detained were part of the rally or among those trying to stop it.
 
In recent years, several attempts to hold gay pride marches in Moscow and other Russian cities have been blocked by police, Russian Orthodox Church activists, and soccer fans.
 
compiled from agency reports