A Pride parade in the Polish city of Bialystok was met with counter protests by far-right groups. This was the first ever Pride event to take place in the north-eastern city on Saturday (20 July). About 800 people marched through the streets in support of LGBTI rights in Poland. However, Catholic and nationalist groups began attacking the Pride parade by throwing bottles, stones and firecrackers at the marchers, Irish news-site RTE reports. A number of violence clashes ensued, with riot police attempting to seperate the two groups. Poland is overwhemingly Catholic, and while there has been progress with regards to LGBTI rights in recent years, the issue remains deeply polarising. During the Pride march, LGBTI rights supporters were carrying rainbow flags and banners with slogans such as ‘love is not a sin’. However, far-right groups were seen chanting and provoking attendees. Videos taken of the march show riot police rushing the crowd to break up skirmishes. Videos also appear to show the groups attacking people on the street.