Brno sees first gay pride parade

Around 500 gays and lesbians took part in a gay pride parade in the Czech Republic’s second largest city, Brno on Saturday. The Queer Parade, as it is known, is the first of its kind in the Czech Republic. The start of the event saw speeches by gay rights activist Jiří Hromada as well as by Džamila Stehlíková, the government minister for minorities and human rights. The parade itself was delayed by at least half an hour and was almost called off under the threat of clashes from dozens of right-wing extremists in the area. Around 200 police officers were out in force and detained three in minor incidents shortly ahead of the event.