Diversity fan zone blocked from opening in St Petersburg

‘Safe space’ to celebrate minorities in football shuttered in city known for hard line on LGBT activism

Shaun Walker in Kaliningrad and Martha Kelner in Volgograd
Sat 16 Jun 2018 18.54 BST

A “safe space” meant to celebrate diversity in football on the sidelines of the World Cup has been prevented from opening for several days, after what the organisers suspect is official pressure.

Diversity House in St Petersburg, organised by a group of NGOs, was meant to celebrate the achievements of minorities in football and was due to open on Thursday, prior to the opening game of the World Cup between Russia and Saudi Arabia.

However, the night before the opening, the company renting out the venue on the edge of the fan zone suddenly pulled out and told the activists they would not be welcome.

“They asked us to go pretty rudely, turned off all the electricity, and gave no explanation,” said Elena Belokurova, a St Petersburg activist who is part of a group called Cup for People, aiming to help the World Cup bring benefits for all layers of Russian society.

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