Unidentified assailants attacked gay activists after a Day of Silence picket in Chernyshevsky Park in Russia's St. Petersburg on Saturday. Several homophobes dressed as rappers, attacked gays and lesbians as they were leaving the park after the picket at 2pm, an activist told Interfax. They punched and kicked several picketers and fled after they saw police approaching, he said. These people remained nearby all through the picket, he said. "Police approached them for an ID check, but failed to isolate them," he added. Sexual minority groups in St. Petersburg gathered for the rally despite an official ban. An activist could be seen standing in the centre of Chernyshevsky Park with his mouth plastered, and another 15 were seated on a bench, also with plastered mouths, an Interfax correspondent reported. The action brought together more journalists than participants. It is being guarded by about ten loyal policemen. The Day of Silence in Russia is an action targeted at the general population and intended to draw people's attention to the problems of silencing hate crimes, discrimination, and intolerance. Coordinator of the Russian LGBT-net of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transsexuals Igor Petrov told the press that the organizers had applied to the city authorities for a permit to stage a mass Day of Silence action and that they wanted to hand out leaflets in the park urging tolerance, but the authorities banned the event "at the last moment".