Photo: Thorsten Strasas

Dear friends,

On Sunday 27 January, about 80 people took part in a demonstration of solidarity with Chechnya's LGBT people in Berlin. They joined this street action to show support and solidarity with those hunted after for simply being who they are.

Together they demanded a full investigation of mass persecution, torture and murder of LGBT people in Chechnya.

The demonstration passed the Russian embassy, held a rally there and proceeded to the Reichstag.

Representatives of the following organizations joined the demo: Konstantin Sherstyuk (Speaker Queertera e.V.), Gene Bogolepov (Speaker Amnesty International), Markus Löw (Speaker Aktionsbündnis gegen Homophobie e.V), Lewamm Ghebremariam (Speaker Change.org). The solidarity march was organized by Florian Fitzinger, Enough is Enough, Chechnya Street Days Berlin, All Out, Quarteera e.V., Queeramnesty Berlin, WeMind Collective and Aktionsbündnis gegen Homophobie e.V and Change.org. Further there were representatives of several German parties including SPD, Alliance 90/The Greens and the Left.

Aside from the rally in Berlin, big demonstrations took part in cities around the globe including London and New York City.

I thank all of you, who took part in these solidarity marches. Your support means a lot for us. We are stronger together.

In the meantime, our petition has reached a new milestone -  more than 600 000 people from across the globe signed it by now. And we will keep on demanding this barbarism to stop.

#chechnya100