A picket against hate killings and violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people (LGBTIQ) was held in Voronezh on July 27. The rally was held at «Hyde Park» at the monument to Andrei Platonov on Revolution Avenue in the city center by four activists. The reason for the picket was the murder of activist Elena Grigorieva on June 22 in St. Petersburg.
Activists held posters with inscriptions: "Your queer-, bi-, homo-, trans-, xeno-, lesbophobia kills", "We demand objective and open investigation of murder of the LGBT activist Elena Grigorieva", "Threats of murder for identity and orientation are not a „household conflict“", and "We demand to take motive of hatred into account during the investigation of crimes against LGBTQ!". The action was quiet, said participant of the picket Olga Musyka.
— Now there is no clear understanding of the motives for the murder of Elena Grigorieva, but the police and investigators are aware of the threats she had received, that she was on the list of a homophobic site. At the beginning of summer, names of people and organizations were published on this site, and the hunt for them was declared. We demand objective investigation of this crime, we demand to take motive of hatred into account during investigations of similar crimes, — she added.
The murder of activist Elena Grigorieva took place in St. Petersburg on July 21. The woman was stabbed at least eight times. The Investigative Committee suspects a citizen of the Kyrgyz Republic, detained on July 25, in the murder. According to the main version of the investigation, it was «a domestic homicide». Activists of the LGBT movement suggest that supporters of the "gay-hunting" community "Pila" («Saw») could be the killers. Early in summer, Grigorieva received threats from its representatives and reported them to the police.
Elena Grigorieva spoke out against homophobia, domestic violence, war in Ukraine, against the Crimean Tatars repression, in defense of sisters Khachaturian, and against the retirement age raising. Actions in memory of the activist from St. Petersburg took place in Yaroslavl, Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other regions.
