Eight Gay Activists Arrested in St. Petersburg

Activist Yury Gavrikov, Credit: Dmitry Lovetsky / AP

Russian police have arrested a total of eight people who were attempting to hold gay rights rallies in St. Petersburg, reports San Francisco Chronicle. 

Russian news agencies reported that police arrested three rally organizers Saturday at a park, while five others were detained when they attempted to hold another rally later that day near the landmark Smolny complex. The three arrested at the first attempted rally were the only participants but six people showed up for the second rally.

In February St. Petersburg adopted a law that punishes people spreading "homosexual propaganda" with fines of up to 500, 000 rubles, which converts to approximately $15, 000.