Thousands attend controversial gay rally in Jerusalem

About 4,000 people gathered at a Jerusalem stadium Friday for a gay pride rally despite calls from ultra-Orthodox Jews to cancel the event.

The four-hour rally at a university sports stadium on the outskirts of the city featured rock music, dancing and declarations of pride.

Most participants were dressed in regular street clothes making it a far more staid affair than gay pride events in the more permissive Israeli city of Tel Aviv. However, one bearded man sported the black hat and jacket usually worn by ultra-Orthodox men, but with a magenta-coloured taffeta skirt and candy-striped tights.

Organizers from the gay rights organization Open House had initally planned to hold a pride parade through Jerusalem.

They agreed to hold it in the stadium after Israeli police said they couldn't guarantee security in the wake of this week's Israeli attack in Gaza that killed 18 Palestinian civilians.

The Palestinian militant group Hamas has vowed revenge for the deaths. Israeli officials have blamed them on malfunctioning artillery equipment.

Israeli police said about 3,000 officers were sent to the rally, condemned by religious extremists who believe homosexuality is a sin.

The Vatican also weighed in on the issue, saying the event offended "the sensibilities of religious communities."

Five protesters were arrested after a brief scuffle with gay activists who tried to go ahead with a parade. Last year's march was marred by bloodshed when an ultra-Orthodox man stabbed and wounded three participants.

Weeks of violence

The rally follows two weeks of violence reportedly at the hands of ultra-Orthodoxactivists, with cars torched and riots in conservative Jewish neighbourhoods.

The city has been covered with posters warning residents not to turn Jerusalem into Sodom and Gomorrah, the two citiesthe Bible says were destroyed by God for their sins.

Ultra-Orthodox representatives have also appeared on television saying Israel is the holy land, not the "homo land."

On Thursday, ultra-Orthodox demonstrators held a "parade of beasts." They marched through the streets with goats and donkeys, and compared gays to animals.

Moderate rabbis have called the protests a disgrace, saying the pride parade is not just about gay rights, but about freedom of expression.