Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell has been arrested in Moscow after carelessly allowing his face to come into contact with the fist of a Russian fascist (realplayer video).

Tatchell, German MP Volker Beck, Moscow Pride organiser Nikolai Alexeyev, Italian MEP Marco Cappato and others were attacked and arrested after attempting to deliver a letter signed by dozens of members of the European Parliament requesting permission to hold a march in Moscow.

Both Tatchell and Beck were punched in the face in full view of police and dozens of journalists. Another activist [musician Richard Fairbrass] was seen bleeding from his face after being attacked.

The BBC reports:

British veteran gay rights activist Peter Tatchell was punched in the face by an anti-gay rights protester.

After receiving the blow, he leaned on a lamppost and shouted: "Someone protect me, Someone protect me," before being roughly escorted away by riot police.

His attacker was not detained.

.....

"Where are the police? Why aren't you protecting us?" Mr Cappato shouted as nationalists gathered nearby, prompting officers to take the MEP away and drive him to a police station.

A Reuters report coyly describes the 'right-wing activists' as making 'salutes'. The report on BBC News 24 and the photo below makes what kind of salutes they are quite clear - although, a Tankie tit popped up recently on another site to assure readers that the straight arm salute 'has no connection with fascism'. Phew. Mind you, if the nationalists say 'Russia for the Russians' and that the streets will run with 'gay blood', it's not up to socialists to be concerned over the means they adopt in their struggle for national liberation, or to worry about any of those silly old Shibboleths, such as human rights for women, or ethnic and sexual minorites.

It remains to be seen what if any protest the British government will make to Russian authorities about one of its citizens being arrested after being punched in the face in the street.

Update from Tatch in Pink News:

"I'm not deterred one iota from coming back to protest in Moscow ... Gay Russians need overseas support to protect them against state and neo-Nazi violence."

[...]Those who attacked Mr Tatchell are believed to be free, while Mr Alekseev, who took part in a peaceful protest remains in police custody

......

"We also need a strong statement of condemnation from the Foreign Office, who have so far been silent. I am a British citizen violently attacked when mounting a lawful protests whilst the Russian police allowed violence to be perpetrated against me."

"There is no rule of law in Moscow. The right to protest does not exist. This is not a democracy.

"Today's protest was about much more than gay rights. We were defending the right to freedom of expression and peaceful protest for all Russians, gay and straight.

"The ban on Moscow Gay Pride is one aspect of a much wider attack on civil society and human rights. It is evidence of a failed transition from communism to democracy and of a rising trend towards autocracy and authoritarianism," he added.

.....

"Instead of protecting us from the violence, some officers seemed to be colluding with the neo-Nazis and ultra-nationalists. I saw them freely talking to each other. It has even been suggested that some of the attackers were, in fact, plain clothes police officers," Mr Tatchell reported.

.....

"They forced me to sit together with the neo-Nazis, it was clearly an intimidation tactic by the OMON, riot police, they are the ones who detained me in their bus." Mr Tatchell told PinkNews.co.uk

While in the bus, Mr Tatchell was taunted by members of the riot police. They interrogated him as to whether he was gay. When he answered yes, he says that one of the OMON officers said, "Wait until we get you to the police station. Then we will have some fun with you."

.....

"As I left the police station with several other released Gay Pride marchers, we were pelted with eggs. Some of us were violently attacked by a man dressed as a Russian Orthodox priest and by several neo-Nazis. The Moscow police initially did nothing, and only arrested two of the assailants under pressure from the Gay Pride marchers and journalists, who had photos and film footage of the attack.

More at Direland and the BBC. Moscow Pride website.