The Jerusalem Post reports that as annual Gay Pride Parade kicks off in capital, Nitzan Horowitz tells marchers that the "parade is symbol of struggle for freedom in the capital" and, "We will not allow extremist groups to turn Jerusalem into Tehran." Police on Thursday arrested a haredi man on suspicion of throwing a stink bomb at marchers participating in Jerusalem's annual Gay Pride Parade. No injuries were reported in the incident. As the Jerusalem Gay Pride Parade kicked off earlier Thursday, MK Nitzan Horowitz, one of the leaders of the parade, told the thousands of marchers "the event is far beyond the gay community" and that "it is a symbol of the struggle for freedom in Jerusalem," adding "This is everyone's capital and it is a free city. We will not allow one extremist group to turn Jerusalem into Tehran." This year's Pride parade is the 10th one held in the capital. Horowitz has taken part each parade. "The gay community suffers from blatant discrimination within the familial framework and the education system," Horowitz said. "Israel is no just Tel Aviv. In many places there is violence and discrimination against citizens based on their sexual orientation and we must fight this without compromise." Earlier Thursday, police stopped a procession of four donkeys and a few dozen extreme right-wing demonstrators at the entrance to the Jerusalem. The demonstrators were attempting to get to the route of the Pride and Tolerance parade with the donkeys, to protest the "bestial" nature of homosexuality. More than 7,000 people were expected to be taking part in the Pride Parade, which also commemorates the shooting attack at the gay and lesbian youth center Bar-Noar in Tel Aviv in 2009. Also on Thursday, organizers in Jerusalem's tent protest announced that the tent activists would also join the pride parade to show their support with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. Thursday’s event started at Independence Park, with speakers and performances, and march to the Knesset for a rally with music and activists in the Wohl Rose Garden. The march was led by MKs Sheli Yachamovich (Labor) and Nitzan Horowitz (Meretz), the second openly-gay Knesset Member. Speakers include MK Zehava Gal-On, and Rachel El Gabsi Bohadana, whose partner, Fabiola Bohadana, was killed in the Carmel fire in December. She is now fighting to have the state recognize her relationship so that their 18-month-old daughter can access the benefits given to the victims of the fire. "The community's struggle is not about sexual orientation," Yachamovich said prior to the march. "It's a struggle for political legitimacy." Other speakers talked about the gay community and the struggle for affordable housing, religious acceptance and other social issues. Meanwhile, some 1,000 ultra-Orthodox were expected to attend a legal counter-protest in Kikar Shabbat in the Mea Sharim neighbourhood of the capital, similar to last year, said Jerusalem police spokesman Shmuel Ben Ruby. There are no legal counter-protests planned for the parade route.
YNET News, meanwhile, reports that the police arrested a man on suspicion of pelting bags filled with urine from an apartment building onto people marching in the gay pride parade in Jerusalem. A sign was hung on the building, threatening death to gays and lesbians. Dozens of ultra-Orthodox protesters wearing sacks as a sign of mourning gathered at Sabbat Square in the capital, also in protest against the parade.
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