Police in St. Petersburg arrest 11 LGBTQ-rights activists at annual ‘Day of Silence’ protest

Police in St. Petersburg arrested 11 LGBTQ-rights demonstrators at the city’s annual “Day of Silence” protest. According to the website OVD-Info, the activists picketed the Great Gostiny Dvor department store plaza on Wednesday. After one arrest, the remaining demonstrators made their way toward the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, wearing red tape over their mouths. Police started arresting more people, as they marched, including some minors.

Daniil Maksimenko, the first demonstrator to be arrested, told OVD-Info that the anti-queer activist Timur Bulatov came to the protest and made a phone call from the area, presumably summoning the police.