Polish police stop protesters who disrupt gay pride parade

Police in Poland have used force and pepper spray on far-right protesters trying to disrupt an LGBT parade.

The trouble occurred Saturday during the Equality March in the eastern city of Lublin. It comes as Poland’s gay rights movement has become more vocal, prompting a backlash by social conservatives in the mostly Roman Catholic country.

The all-news station TVN24 said police detained some protesters who tried to block the march.

It is the second time that a gay rights parade has taken place in Lublin.

Only a handful of parades took place each year in Poland until activists last year began organizing them even in small conservative towns, with a record number this year.

The ruling Law and Justice party depicts the LGBT movement as a threat to Polish traditions.