Reports are sketchy about the arrest of 40 people at a Moscow gay rights march on Saturday, but it seems that some of those detained were not marching for the rights of same-sex couples, but attacking those who were. During the march, "several men were seen trying to pelt the protesters with tomatoes and unfurling posters with pejorative remarks about homosexuality," the Associated Press reported. (Note tomatoes in the photo above.)

The AP also said that the march had been sanctioned by authorities, a rare case in Russia, where laws against such demonstrations are strict and getting stricter.

The English-language broadcast network RT reported just last week that the region of Arkhangelsk, near the White Sea, was considering a law that would outlaw "all events promoting homosexuality, among them Gay Pride marches." The ban has strong support from officials of the Russian Orthodox Church, where a spokesman did not mince words about the organization's disdain for gay people.

Read the full story at The Atlantic Wire.