Gay-Rights Activists Arrested In Moscow

Nikolai Alekseyev is arrested outside the Moscow mayor's office.

Russian news agencies report that at least 10 gay-rights activists protesting against the antihomosexual stance of Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov have been arrested.

One of those in custody is the head of a gay-rights association, Nikolai Alekseyev.

The activists had handcuffed themselves to a railing, and shouted slogans protesting the mayor's views. The protest was not authorized by the police.

Luzhkov has repeatedly banned gay-rights marches in the Russian capital, and described homosexual acts as "satanic."

compiled from agency reports