402_5 interference 5. On 17 May 2012 Mr Romanov took part in the “Rainbow flash mob” event in St Petersburg, which had been authorised by the local authorities and marked the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. A group of people protesting against the event gathered nearby. The police were deployed to maintain public order during the event; however, they did not intervene when counter-demonstrators started insulting the participants in the event. The parties submitted no further information about any preliminary measures which had been put in place to protect the demonstrators.