Activists at Saturday's meeting on Tverskaya Square near the city centre were heavily outnumbered by black-clad riot police who had lined the square in advance. But partly reflecting the influence of the Orthodox church, many Russians back the law or have negative feelings towards gays. A 2013 law against gay 'propaganda' also sparked an outcry among Russian rights activists and in the West. The campaigners had requested permission to hold a gay pride parade today, but Moscow authorities blocked the request for the tenth year in a row - an annual ritual that has come to symbolise Russian authorities' hostility to public expressions of support for gay rights.
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Police broke up an unsanctioned gay rights rally in central Moscow on Saturday, detaining around 20 people, including anti-gay campaigners who attacked the activists.
