Several gay bars in Moscow were raided

According to media reports, Russian police raided several gay bars and nightclubs in Moscow. In addition, a men-only sauna room was searched, Russian media reported today. The coordinated raids appear to have taken place shortly after Russia’s judiciary banned the international LGBTQ movement.

Videos showed police officers, among other things, in front of a gay nightclub where a huge dance party was taking place. An eyewitness told Ostorogno Novosti: “The music stopped in the middle of the party.” The police then took photos of the guests’ identity documents.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court in Russia issued a ban on the “International LGBT Movement” on charges of “extremism” and banned its activities on Russian territory. The English abbreviation LGBTQ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people.

The ruling took effect immediately. However, the Supreme Court did not initially provide any information about whether its ruling applied to specific people or organizations in Russia. This means that its precise effects remained unclear at first. “Extremism” carries long prison sentences in Russia.