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Stockholm police detains topless Femen activists breaking into Russian Embassy

The incident occurred ahead of a scheduled demonstration in front of the embassy gates in support of sexual minorities’ rights
Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS
Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS

STOCKHOLM, August 1 (Itar-Tass) - Police have detained two activists from the feminist group Femen, who broke into the territory of the Russian Embassy in the Swedish capital earlier on Thursday, embassy sources have told Tass.

They say the incident occurred ahead of a scheduled demonstration in front of the embassy gates in support of sexual minorities’ rights. A total of 600 people are expected to take part.

However, before the action began two topless women, aged 21 and 41, climbed over the fence, while two other activists with a rainbow-colored flag blocked the main gates. Getting to the embassy compounds, the women tried to enter the embassy building. Police arrived to the site ten minutes later and detained the transgressors.

Earlier this week, Swedish Foreign Minister Karl Bildt said the law banning propaganda of homosexuality among the underage passed in Russia was “kindling hatred to sexual minorities”.

“The recently passed law banning propaganda of homosexuality among the underage has nothing to do with discrimination of people with untraditional sexual orientation and does not infringe on their rights,” Russian diplomats said. “Such statements are simply untrue,” the embassy said.