Bucharest pride succeeds with heavy police protection

It took 800 police officers to protect it, and the arrest of 108 counterprotesters, but the June 9 gay pride parade in Bucharest, Romania, was a success.
Officers tear-gassed hundreds of anti-gay protesters who threw rocks, fireworks, garbage, eggs and tomatoes at the 500 marchers. No injuries were reported.
Pride organizers called for anti-discrimination protections and legalization of same-sex partnerships.
"The police did … very professional work," said Maxim Anmeghichean, programs director of the European branch of the International Lesbian and Gay Association.
"The participants were guarded by tall iron police trucks on one side, which, being literally half a meter behind each other, formed a protection fence. Hundreds of policemen stood on the other side of the march, also forming a live fence of protection."
Since most of last year's attacks on marchers occurred in subway stations after the parade, police cleared the metro stops of neo-Nazis before allowing the marchers to disperse this year.
The parade, organized by the gay group ACCEPT, was part of Gay Fest 2007.
"[It] was … very colorful, empowering and protected with much professionalism," Anmeghichean said.