After threatening to ban it, Jerusalem police allowed a small gay rally in Liberty Bell Park Aug. 10—the event that replaced the WorldPride parade. The parade was cancelled because police said they needed officers from other cities to help protect it, and those officers were unavailable because of the ongoing war with Hezbollah guerrillas and Lebanon.
Antigay Orthodox Jews had threatened a massive counterdemonstration against the parade, which also was opposed by Christian and Muslim religious figures, the mayor, and right-wing politicians in the 'holy city.'
About 200 people attended the rally, which ended after anarchists arrived chanting against the Israeli Defense Forces' actions in Lebanon.
At last year's local pride parade, an ultra-Orthodox protester stabbed three marchers and was later convicted of attempted murder. Orthodox Jews tried to block the march, and some 1,000 antigay militants staged a rowdy action during which some threw bottles of urine and bags of feces at the marchers.
WorldPride, last held in 2000 in Rome, is licensed by InterPride, the International Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Coordinators.
— Rex Wockner