An estimated 300,000 people have marched through freezing weather in Paris against the French government's proposal to enact a same-sex marriage law by June. Organisers of the protest, who chartered five TGV high-speed trains and 1,000 buses to bring people from the provinces into the capital, say they are pro-marriage and not anti-gay. However, police beefed up their presence when an extreme-right Catholic group announced a specifically anti-gay march for the same time. France is a predominantly Catholic country and many people were angered when the government tried to push through its marriage equality agenda without public consultation. Opponents of gay marriage and adoption in France say the reform, which will also allow same-sex couples to adopt, would create psychological and social problems for children. So far there have been no reports of violence or arrests.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Monday, 14th January 2013 - 9:12am