Although France officially legalized gay marriage
last month, organizers of an anti-gay marriage — or “pro-family” —
parade decided to go forward with a planned demonstration Sunday — and
hundreds of thousands turned out.
Sandy Glass from Naperville, Illinois,
was in Paris and witnessed the parade unexpectedly, telling TheBlaze she
and her husband estimated more than 250,000 people were present.
“It brought tears to our eyes,” Glass, a conservative and Glenn Beck fan, said in a phone interview.
“We go to France a lot and thought it
was another left wing protest,” she said later, recalling that last year
they found themselves in the middle of a Socialist rally.
When they followed the noise and
witnessed what she described as “pro-family” signs, Glass said she
realized “oh, we’re not the only ‘crazy’ ones,” explaining that it is
“sometimes very difficult to be on the right in America.”
The Associated Press reported there
being about 5,000 police present for the demonstration, due to clashes
that have occurred in other anti-gay marriage protests.
But Glass said the event was very well organized and even seemed to have its own security detail.
“Nobody bothered these people,” she
said, noting that people on the street were giving thumbs up and people
in balconies were cheering. ”
Here are some photos from the event:
"Pro-Family" March in Paris Draws Thousands
Children wave flags on top of a bus stop to support demonstrators of the anti-gay marriage movement 'La Manif Pour Tous' (Demonstration for all) during a mass protest on May 26, 2013 in Paris against a gay marriage law. France on May 18 became the 14th country to legalise same-sex marriage after President Francois Hollande signed the measure into law following months of bitter debate and demonstrations.
Member of French right-wing opposition UMP party, Guillaume Peltier (C) marches among supporters of the anti-gay marriage movement 'La Manif Pour Tous' (Demonstration for all) during a mass protest on May 26, 2013 in Paris against a gay marriage law. France on May 18 became the 14th country to legalise same-sex marriage after President Francois Hollande signed the measure into law following months of bitter debate and demonstrations.
Supporters of the anti-gay marriage movement 'La Manif Pour Tous' (Demonstration for all) march across a bridge and along the Seine river bank during a mass protest on May 26, 2013 in Paris against a gay marriage law. France on May 18 became the 14th country to legalise same-sex marriage after President Francois Hollande signed the measure into law following months of bitter debate and demonstrations.
Supporters of the anti-gay marriage movement 'La Manif Pour Tous' (Demonstration for all) hold a banner reading 'All for a renewable mankind' during a mass protest on May 26, 2013 in Paris against a gay marriage law. France on May 18 became the 14th country to legalise same-sex marriage after President Francois Hollande signed the measure into law following months of bitter debate and demonstrations.
Supporters of the anti-gay marriage movement 'La Manif Pour Tous' (Demonstration for all) wave flags in front of the Eiffel Tower during a mass protest on May 26, 2013 in Paris against a gay marriage law. France on May 18 became the 14th country to legalise same-sex marriage after President Francois Hollande signed the measure into law following months of bitter debate and demonstrations.
A supporter of the anti-gay marriage movement 'La Manif Pour Tous' (Demonstration for all) collects donations from a demonstrator during a mass protest on May 26, 2013 in Paris against a gay marriage law. France on May 18 became the 14th country to legalise same-sex marriage after President Francois Hollande signed the measure into law following months of bitter debate and demonstrations.
Supporters of the anti-gay marriage movement 'La Manif Pour Tous' (Demonstration for all) march towards the Eiffel Tower during a mass protest on May 26, 2013 in Paris against a gay marriage law. France on May 18 became the 14th country to legalise same-sex marriage after President Francois Hollande signed the measure into law following months of bitter debate and demonstrations.
“It was such a show of force that was pro something, not against something,” she said. “I think it was awesome.”
The plan of French protesters, according to Glass, is to vote out lawmakers with whom they hold opposition in 2014.
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/05/26/it-brought-tears-to-our-eyes-american-describes-witnessing-thousands-in-paris-march-against-gay-marriage/
No comments:
Post a Comment