Parade of 'Normality'

Some 800 people marched through the streets of Warsaw in an anti-gay demonstration on Saturday. The parade was an answer to last weeks Equality Parade for gays and lesbians which had been denied official consent of the Warsaw city authorities.

This Saturdays march was organized by the Polish Youth, an offshoot of the radical right. It acquired the consent of the city mayor and was joined by the rightist League of Polish Families, an ultra Catholic national grouping.

The parade of Normality as it was called started at the House of Parliament and was intended to promote the traditional relationship between man and woman. However, the majority of the protesters were young men carrying white and red flags and the march was joined by elderly couples. Euro deputy of the league of Polish families Wojciech Wierzejski praised last weeks events when the Polish Youth hurled stones and eggs at the parade of gays and lesbians and said that the League will not allow for any further equality Parades and that after winning the elections it will aim to de-legalise any homosexual associations or movements.

'No tolerance for homosexuals and deviants' called Wierzejski, opening the parade. The event was joined by the head of the League of Polish families Roman Giertych who said there is no place in Polish public life for gays and lesbians. At the same time a counter parade marched through the city centre organized by the opponents of the Polish Youth, who wanted to manifest their disapproval of a movement they consider fascist. Both parades were securely guarded by police units and they wound up peacefully.