Gay rights activists in Russia have vowed to go ahead with a march in Moscow to coincide with the final of the Eurovision Song Contest.
Police in Russia have broken up a march by gay rights activists in Moscow, staged to coincide with the final of the Eurovision Song Contest.
The authorities have not given permission for the march and the police are warning of a crackdown.
Several dozen campaigners had gathered near a university in defiance of a ban and several were dragged away by police when they tried to shout slogans.
But a counter-demonstration by nationalist and religious groups is being allowed.
The city authorities had outlawed the parade saying it was morally wrong.
Gay campaigners fear they could come under attack before Eurovision which has a large gay following.
Permission has been given for a counter-demonstration by nationalist and religious groups.
Gay rights activists here see the staging of the contest in Moscow as a great opportunity to highlight what they say is the deep prejudice they face from the government, the Orthodox Church and society as a whole.
Warning of clashes
Every year since 2006 they have applied for official permission to hold a gay pride parade in the capital.
Each time it has been rejected by the city authorities.
Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov has described such parades as "satanic". But leading gay rights campaigner Nikolai Alekseev said they would still try to take to the streets despite the risk of arrest or worse.
Anti-gay groups have threatened to take matters into their own hands if the police fail to stop the march. They've warned there could be clashes.
Being openly gay in Russia is virtually impossible. There have been many attacks on members of the community - they also say they risk being sacked by their employers and shunned by their families.
