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Russia’s clampdown on the LGBTQ+ community has seen another LGBTQ+ club raided by riot police, who forcibly entered the venue Fame in Yekaterinburg, Russia’s fourth-largest city.

The incident, which was captured in a video shared by local news sources, showed police interrupting the club’s activities, abruptly halting the music and turning on the lights as they yelled at patrons.

Eyewitnesses report a tense scene where attendees were ushered out of the venue while officers recorded their personal details. According to Radio Free Europe, the raid led to the detention of several individuals, adding to the increasing number of such incidents following Russia’s Supreme Court ruling against LGBTQ+ activism. The court, spurred by the Justice Ministry, labelled the “international public LGBT movement” as extremist and outlawed its activities, a decision unsupported by concrete evidence.

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This latest raid adds to a series of similar actions targeting LGBTQ+ venues across Russia. Clubs, bars, saunas, and other spaces serving the queer community have faced shutdowns and disruptions, with patrons often subjected to document checks and ID verifications. In some reported cases, individuals were compelled to lie face-down on the ground during these police operations.

The closure of Central Station, a prominent gay club in St. Petersburg, highlights the severe impact of Russia’s anti-LGBTQ+ policies on community spaces. The club’s shutdown was announced via social media, citing the oppressive new law as the reason for losing their rented premises.

Russian authorities have been increasingly hostile towards the LGBTQ+ community, with legislation enacted since 2013 to suppress and censor open discussions and expressions of queer identities.

The recent expansion of the ‘gay propaganda’ law now encompasses adult content, further restricting the dissemination of material perceived as promoting “non-traditional values, LGBT, feminism, and distorted representations of traditional sexual values.” Violations of this law can result in hefty fines for individuals and private companies, illustrating the government’s firm stance against LGBTQ+ rights and visibility.

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