Moscow is hosting the European Song Contest this year, a hugely popular pop music contest which will be watched by hundreds of millions of Europeans Saturday night.

About 30 activists gathered near a university in southwestern Moscow to protest discrimination against gays and lesbians in Russia, AP reports:

The group, which included British gay rights advocate Peter Tatchell, waved flags and chanted slogans, including: "Homophobia is a disgrace of this country!" and "We are demanding equal rights!"

After about a minute, riot police charged into the group and began to grab protesters, dragging them to waiting buses. Tatchell was talking with reporters when police started to haul him away. "This shows the Russian people are not free," he said.

Russian gay rights movement leader Nikolai Alexeyev was among those detained.

After the demonstration, riot police detained other gay activists who appeared after the protest and were speaking with the media. As they hauled away Ksenia Prilebskaya, police ripped off her shirt and bra and roughly pushed her into a police bus.

City authorities had barred Saturday's rally saying it was morally wrong. Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov has described homosexuality as "satanic."

Last update: 05-16-2009 09:10