Violence mars gay rally in Sweden

The parade continued later without further incident

A gay pride rally in the Swedish city of Stockholm was marred by violence after a group of around 30 far-right protesters attacked marchers with stones and bottles, police have said.

Several thousand people were attending the annual march promoting gay, lesbian and transsexual rights, when witnesses said a group of skinheads began hurling stones and bottles at marchers.

A group of around 200 anti-gay demonstrators had been holding a protest, organised by the youth organisation of the country's far-right National Democrats party.

Marc Abramsson, the organisation's leader, told Reuters news agency that the group had been protesting peacefully and that it had been marchers who attacked them.

"We wanted to demonstrate against gay adoptions and against linking sexuality to children," he was quoted by the agency as saying.

But a police spokesman said that the anti-gay activists had started the brawl.

Police arrested several people following the incident, Swedish television reported, and one man was treated for minor injuries.

The parade continued peacefully following the incident, police said.