Five police officers have been injured after scuffles broke out during a gay pride march in Ukraine, officials said.
The march took place in Kiev earlier today and was organised to celebrate the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in the country.
Attackers threw bottles, stones and smoke bombs at participants as they marched alongside the Dnipro river carrying rainbow banners.
Several people were arrested and at least one of the attackers was injured, police said.
Organisers were asked to call off the march by politicians after the radical Right Sector movement threatened to disrupt the event.
Kiev Mayor Vitaly Klitschko told the organisers to cancel the event to “avoid confrontation”.
Ukraine president Petro Poroshenko sent his support to the Equality March and said it was everyone’s “constitutional right” to participate.
His comments were seen as the strongest support ever given by a Ukrainian politician in the history of the country.
It was the second gay pride march to ever take place in the country after previous events were forced to close following threats of violence.
The rally was called off shortly after the scuffles.
Authorities have said the rights of LGBT people are protected, but activists claim homophobia is still widespread in the former soviet country.
