More than 50 people have been detained in Moscow after two gay bars experienced heavy police raids in the Russian capital on October 11.
Photos and videos of these raids were posted on two pro-Russia telegram channels, with one of the posts showing masked police officers storming into the central club in downtown Moscow, shouting and forcing the gay clubgoers to lie down face-forward on the ground.
One clip showed an officer shoving a detainee against the wall and violently kicking them on the leg as the people got searched.
It has been reported that one the bars, Central Station, was holding an event marking National Coming Out Day, which is a globally recognised day, on October 11 when the police stormed the venue at 1am under the pretext of “fighting drug trafficking.”
There is no information on what happened to the over 50 people who were detained or where they were taken.
Another popular Moscow LGBTQ+ venue, Three Monkeys, was raided the same night, following “civilian complaints” of “half-naked men dressed as women dance around the stage, and the guy guests [kissing] each other freely.”
Russian authorities continue to enact heavy anti-LGBTQ+ policy ever since the Supreme Court outlawed LGBTQ+ activism in November last year. Following the controversial legislation, there have been reports of raids on LGBTQ+ venues in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, with instances of clubs shutting down due to threats from police officers.