Bulgaria

More than 60 persons have been arrested by the police for trying to attack and harass the participants in the Gay Pride parade, which took place in Sofia Saturday afternoon.
The arrested are mostly representatives of the skin heads and other extremist groups, who were throwing stones, bottles, squibs, and even Molotov cocktails at the procession.
The massive presence of the police, who were about as many as the participants in the parade - 150, however, prevented the hooligans from doing harm to any of the homosexuals and their supporters, and no-one has been reported injured.

Source: Sofia News Agency, 28 June 2008
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=94619

ILGA-Europe was approached by GEMINI association in Bulgaria to address the Mayor of Sofia concerning the parade. You can read ILGA-Europe's letter to Mr Boyko Borisov here.

Croatia

For the seventh year in a row, Zagreb hosted the Gay Pride parade on Saturday (28.06.08), with a procession of LGBTIQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersexual and queer) people marching through the centre of the capital under the motto "The Power of Unity - You Have the Courage!". The marchers carried colourful balloons and flags in the colours of the rainbow, the European Union and their organisations, displaying messages such as "I Am Happy", "I Love My Neighbour" and "Our Courage Is Our Strength".
The police estimated the number of parade participants at between 150 and 200, while organisers put their number at between 500 and 600. The police initially said there had been no physical attacks on the marchers, but later reported attacks on five parade participants in two separate incidents.

Source: Zagreb Pride 2008, 28 June 2008
http://www.zagreb-pride.net/j/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

Czech Republic

At least 20 people were injured when the Czech Republic's first ever Gay Pride parade was attacked by rightwing extremists armed with tear gas even before the event was due to begin in the city of Brno. Three people were arrested when counter-demonstrators threw fireworks at the gathering of lesbians and gays in which an estimated 500 were to participate.

Source: DPA, 28 June 2008
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/europe/news/article_1413876.php/Czech

France

More than half a million people took part in Gay Pride parade in Paris on Saturday in the motto 'for a school without any discrimination.'
The 2008 parade was dedicated to the fight against racism, sexism and xenophobia among young people.
Among the prominent participants in the parade was Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoe and former culture minister Jack Lang, both members of the Socialist Party.

Source: DPA, 28 June 2008
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/europe/news/article_1413883.php/Hundr

Germany

Tens of thousands of gays and lesbians defied rain to join the annual Christopher Street Day parade through the streets of Berlin Saturday. The exotically clad procession, many waving rainbow flags, started for the first time in former East Berlin before making its way along the boulevard Unter den Linden to the Victory column in the west of the city.

Source: DPA, 28 June 2008
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/europe/news/article_1413855.php/Thousands_of_gays_join_Berlins_Christopher_Street_Day_parade