Tel Aviv is preparing for its 13th annual gay pride parade; with thousands of marchers expected to take to the streets on Friday, local time. Lampposts across the city have been flying rainbow flags for the past week. A police spokesman has told the Jerusalem Post police are not taking any wider than usual security preparations for this year's parade, but will deploy a strong police presence, with several thousand officers from the special patrol units and the border patrol. The newspaper says although it has long been an accepted and welcome celebration in Tel Aviv, the pride parade in Jerusalem has been a matter of fierce, often violent contention, with GLBT activists and supporters pitted against religious conservatives. Chairman of the Israeli Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Association Mike Hamel says there will be a moment of silence for the victims of a shooting last August at the Bar Noar, a Tel Aviv counselling centre for gay teens, that left two dead and over 15 injured.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Friday, 11th June 2010 - 1:06pm