France's gay marriage law draws thousands of protesters to Paris
Some 4,500 security forces deployed amid fears hardliners could stir up trouble during protest
Tens of thousands marched through France's capital yesterday to protest against a new gay marriage law, with police on high alert amid warnings that hardliners could infiltrate the demonstration and cause trouble.
One of President Francois Hollande's campaign pledges, the bill allowing same-sex marriage and adoption was voted into law last Saturday after months of protests across a country that has been bitterly divided over the issue.
"Yes to human dignity", one banner read as protesters blowing whistles and horns marched. A man dressed in black, holding a scythe and wearing a mask of Hollande stood behind a coffin in which lay a mannequin dressed as Marianne, France's emblem.
Some 4,500 security forces were mobilised for the last-ditch show of force, which saw opponents of the law travel to Paris from across the country in chartered trains and buses.
In Poland, some 10,000 protesters marched in solidarity with the French to defend the traditional family structure.
Interior Minister Manuel Valls had warned that so-called ultras - many of them far-right nationalists - were expected to infiltrate the protest and cause unrest, and advised demonstrators not to take their children with them. Many in the protest had, however, ignored the warning, taking their children as others had in previous demonstrations.