In Moscow and Krasnodar, Russian security forces carried out raids against people celebrating Halloween on the night of November 1. Law enforcement officers detained young people in festive costumes, and at one of the capital’s clubs forced around 200 visitors to lie face down on the floor. The Moscow Times reports this, UNN writes.
Details
In central Moscow, the raid was conducted by police, OMON riot police and the Russian National Guard. In the Kitay-Gorod district, they detained several people, some of whom were forced to lie face down on the asphalt.
According to SOTAvision, among those detained were teenagers dressed as a banana and a Tyrannosaurus. The security forces made them take off their festive outfits and then released them.
At a club, 200 people were forced to lie face down on the floor
In Moscow, law enforcement officers also stormed the Bizarre club, where a Halloween party was taking place. Around 200 guests were forced to lie on the floor; many were searched and questioned.
According to Russian Telegram channels, the security forces were searching for so-called "LGBT propaganda." At the same time, the establishment’s administration said that the inspection had found no violations.
In Krasnodar, police also detained teenagers in festive costumes and makeup. Some were taken to service buses for reports to be drawn up.
The local Interior Ministry explained the raids as concern for the safety of minors and monitoring compliance with restrictions on their being outdoors at night.
Russian lawmaker calls Halloween an "attraction for degenerates"
The celebrations provoked outrage from Denis Khmelevsky, a lawmaker in the Krasnodar Krai parliament.
He called the costume parties a "cheap imported attraction for degenerates" and accused the participants of disregarding so-called traditional values.
In the lawmaker’s view, celebrating Halloween is a manifestation of the "harmful influence of the West," while young people supposedly should be thinking about the war Russia is waging against Ukraine.