Gay Pride

Albanian religious leaders have had ab whinge at a planned gay pride parade, with a spokesman for the Muslim community claiming it would pose a danger to society. Agron Hoxha spouted:

Such public demonstration is an abuse of human rights and freedoms and presents a danger for the morals and tradition of the Albanian family,

The Catholic Church also opposes the planned parade in Tirana on May 17, said spokesman Gjergj Meta, spouting that:

homosexuality is opposed to the natural order and the morals of society.

The Royalist party, part of Albania's ruling coalition, also opposes the planned parade, which will be a first in the country, spouting:

Homosexuality is a sexual deviation, a vice, a misfortune or a curse that cannot be tolerated, the party said in a statement.

Police have arrested 45 people in Hungary after fights broke out at a gay rights march in central Budapest.

Riot police used water canons and tear gas to prevent activists from right-wing groups attacking marchers, Eva Tafferner, a police spokeswoman, said.

At least 10 people were injured in the violence.

Hundreds of activists threw petrol bombs and bottles at the gay rights demonstrators in an attempt to break up the annual march. Police seized petrol bombs from a group of six people waiting for demonstrators in an uninhabited flat along the route of the march. Eggs, firecrackers and cobblestones were also thrown at the about 450 marchers and police.

A police car carrying Katalin Levai, a European parliament member and human rights activist, was attacked by anti-gay demonstrators. A stone was slammed through the window of the car but she was unhurt.

Levai said: This is outrageous and shameful that some 20 years after the change of regime, this is what we have ... such intolerance.

Budapest police are bracing for more clashes as nationalist groups plan to disrupt this weekend's Gay Pride Parade, calling it a provocation against Hungarian culture.

The march, part of the city's weeklong Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Festival, will pass through the heart of the capital. Laszlo

Toroczkai, who heads nationalist youth group 64 Counties, is calling on Hungarians to stop it: What we're against is men walking around in pink miniskirts, half naked, kissing each other and desecrating the Bible on the street. Hungarian children don't need to see that. [much better the kids see violence?]

Toroczkai and fellow protest organizer Gyorgy Budahazy were among the leaders of anti-government demonstrations in September 2006 that turned into Hungary's worst street violence in 50 years.

Authorities first banned the parade, saying it would block traffic, then reversed the decision after Mayor Gabor Demszky and other politicians protested.