Participants in the Split Pride 2012 parade arrived at the empty waterfront Riva in the southern Adriatic city on Saturday, under tight police security.
The area was protected by an iron fence.
No incidents were reported. About a hundred Split residents opposing the parade gathered some 50 metres outside the fence.
Minister of the Interior Ranko Ostojic told reporters he did not expect incidents at today's Gay Pride parade and refuted criticism that he had interfered in the jurisdiction of the local authorities who wanted the Parade to be held in the central square, the so called Prokurative.
I recommend to those who say that to read the Constitution and the laws. I am confident the police acted in accordance with the Constitution and laws of the Republic of Croatia.
Foreign and European Affairs Minister Vesna Pusic said nobody thought that violence would break out at last year's Gay Pride in Split. "That's why we decided it was necessary to come to the Split Pride this year and several ministers came to give their support to equality and fight against discrimination," Pusic said.
She recalled that she took part in about ten gay parades, adding that there were some incident at those events too, but that there were no incidents at the last one in Zagreb and there was no reason to have any incidents today in Split either.
Administration Minister Arsen Bauk said Croatia needed to develop conscience that people of different sexual orientation were normal and that the society should accept them as normal people.
