Europe’s gays go Gaga for equal rights at EuroPride
Rome erupted in spectacle Saturday as thousands marched for gay rights - and against the conservative Italian regime. In two other Catholic countries, Poland and Croatia, pride marchers faced violent threats.
Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Rome on Saturday to demand greater gay rights and rail against the Vatican and the conservative Italian government’s “backward” policies on homosexuality.
Organizers of the EuroPride parade said they were expecting around 1 million people at the parade, while police forecasts ranged between 300,000 and 500,000. Tight security measures were in place to prevent any possible outbreaks of violence.
The EuroPride event, held each summer in a different city, concluded Saturday evening with a concert by pop icon Lady Gaga at the Circus Maximus, a field where ancient Romans gathered for entertainment.
In her much-anticipated appearance, Lady Gaga was to perform her hit single “Born this Way,” a song celebrating diversity.