Gay pride in Israel goes ahead despite protest

Homosexual groups in Israel have gone ahead with a gay pride festival in Jerusalem despite demonstrations and skirmishes. Thousands of people packed into a stadium for music and celebration, after organisers agreed to call off a planned parade through the streets.

Ultra-orthodox Jews had threatened to disrupt the march through the holy city, and there were nightly protests against the event. Police called on the festival organisers to reconsider their plans to hold the parade, saying officers would be too busy beefing up security elsewhere against threatened Palestinian attacks.

Nonetheless, some 3,000 police were on hand to protect those who headed for the stadium. Security forces arrested a handful of people during skirmishes between gay people who insisted on marching and anti-homosexual protesters.

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