Pride parade
Photo: Ofer Amram
Rightists protest gay parade in Arab towns
Hundreds of right-wing activists to demonstrate against coming Gay Pride Parade in the capital by organizing march in Arab towns
Right-wing activists led by Knesset Member Michael Ben Ari (National Union) have decided to protest coming Thursday's Gay Pride Parade, scheduled to take place in Jerusalem, by staging a march of their own – in various Arab town.
"One rule must apply to all," said Ben Ari. "The people from the Open House are not the only ones who have the right to march."
The Jerusalem Open House is a grassroots, activist organization of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people.
Organizers of the rightist march are protesting the fact that the capital's police are allowing the Gay Pride Parade, despite the fact that its religious community sees it as offensive.
Ben Ari, along with extreme right-wing activists Baruch Marzel and Itamar Ben Gvir have formulated an organized response to what they call the "profanity parade" and they intend to ask the police for a permit to stage a march on 15 Arab towns, starting one month after Thursday's parade.
Permits will be filed for marches in Tayibe, Sakhnin, Nazareth, Ar'ara and Baka al Garbia, to name a few. The activists are also planning to stage a picket line in front of the Open House and have hundreds of their supporters perform public information activities in city schools on the day of the parade.
Organizers have said that should their request be denied, they would appeal it with the Supreme Court.
