Ukranian gay pride march ends in violent clashes

Pavements soaked with blood after clashes between marchers, protestors and police at a march in Kiev this morning

Ukraine police arrest far-right activists at the Pride event in Kiev (AFP/Getty Images)

A gay pride march in Ukraine has been violently attacked by far-right protestors.

Smoke bombs, stones and other missiles were hurled at LGBT activists as they took part in a gay pride march in the Ukrainian capital city of Kiev this morning, it has been reported.

Hundreds of police officers were deployed and some 25-30 people have been arrested as a result of the violence.

Police restrain a far-right activist at the march (Photo: VOLODYMYR SHUVAYEV/AFP/Getty Images) ((VOLODYMYR SHUVAYEV/AFP/Getty Images))

This week, the city’s mayor Vitaly Klitschko had called for the march to be cancelled to “avoid confrontation” with far-right protestors who had threatened a violent response to the march.

The crowd dispersed after teh violent clashes (Photo: VOLODYMYR SHUVAYEV/AFP/Getty Images) ((VOLODYMYR SHUVAYEV/AFP/Getty Images))

Member of parliament Serhiy Leshchenko attended the march this morning and tweeted an image of a blood soaked pavement.

In the caption he explained that the blood described the blood as belonging to an injured policeman.

Mr Leshchenko also shared a photo of a member of police detaining a masked man, who he has identified as being a member of the far right.

The rally finished shortly after the clashes, as the crows dispersed.

A masked gay rights activist at the Kiev march (Photo: GENYA SAVILOV/AFP/Getty Images)

LGBT communities in Ukraine continue to face persecution. A 2013 poll found that almost 80 per cent of Ukranians say they oppose any sexual relations between people of the same sex.

In the same year, a study found that 65 per cent of LGBT Ukranians say that they experience sexual discrimination on a regular basis.