A group of Russian LGBT activists showed their pride at this year’s May Day parade in St. Petersburg.

According to reports by human rights activist Michael Petrelis, approximately 100 activists rallied with the larger crowds celebrating International Workers’ Day holdings signs that read: ‘Repeal the Shameful Homophobic Law! Let’s Stop Hate and Discrimination Together!’

The group endured some initial confrontations with authorities who tried to stop them from carrying rainbow flags under Russia’s gay propaganda law that bans the ‘promotion of homosexuality among minors’.

Russian LGBT network released a statement saying: ‘Last year in the May Day procession, anyone who held up a rainbow flag was arrested just for this. Today, the “rainbow column” marched with flags proudly held high and the feeble requests of the police to “stop propaganda” were ignored.’

Olga Lenkova, an activist with LGBT rights organization Coming Out said: ‘Despite attempts by the police to ban deployment of rainbow flags at the beginning of the march, activists were able to pass along the entire route with rainbow flags and banners with no arrests.’

Igor Kochetkov, Director of Russian LGBT network addressed the crowd: ‘Friends, this is indeed a victory. We have not won, but the struggle clearly goes in our favor. Not just for LGBT, but for advocates of freedom and democracy across the Russian Federation.’

‘Happy 1st of May!’

Despite several Russian states approving anti-gay propaganda laws that criminalize gay-related material and events including gay pride, Russian president Vladimir Putin said as recently as last month that gay people in Russia ‘enjoy all the same rights and freedoms as everyone else’.