On October 11, more than 50 people were detained in Moscow following police raids on two of the city’s most popular queer bars, Central Station and Three Monkeys. The raids were reportedly carried out under the pretext of stopping “drug trafficking” and responding to civilian complaints about drag performances and same-sex affection in public.

One incident occurred during an event at Central Station celebrating National Coming Out Day, an international day of awareness for the LGBTQ+ community, which had around 200 patrons in attendance.

At approximately 2am, masked police officers stormed into the venue, forcing clubgoers to lie on the ground or stand against walls while they were aggressively frisked. Footage of the raids was widely circulated on pro-Russian Telegram channels, including MSK1 and SHOT. In one video, an officer is seen violently kicking a detainee during a search.

The raids also targeted the Three Monkeys club, which was also raided the same night, reportedly due to “civilian complaints”. Both venues are owned by the same management and have been significant LGBTQ+ spaces in Moscow for years.

However, Central Station has faced a history of violent attacks, including a shooting and gas assaults, following the introduction of Russia’s first anti-LGBTQ+ laws in 2013.

The latest crackdown comes amid escalating legal and social hostility towards LGBTQ+ individuals in Russia.

In November 2022, the State Duma passed a law expanding the ban on “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations” to all ages, further criminalizing public expressions of LGBTQ+ identity. Previously, in 2013, the Russian Parliament passed a bill banning any type of LGBTQ+ content for minors.

 In 2023, Russia’s Supreme Court labelled the so-called “international LGBT movement” as “extremist”, intensifying the pressure on the community.

On top of this, a human rights group reported that at least seven gay men from Chechnya have been sent to fight in Ukraine by Russian authorities.

While the authorities claimed the raids were related to drug enforcement, the targeting of two prominent LGBTQ+ venues on National Coming Out Day suggests a broader motive of intimidation.

There is currently no information on what has happened to the more than 50 people detained in the police raids at the two queer bars in Moscow, nor is it known where they were taken. The raids are part of a growing pattern of harassment and repression against LGBTQ+ individuals in Russia.