A special guest at this year’s Gay pride march in Paris, Liza Minelli tonight sings a song to the memory of Michael Jackson, and adds star power to the theme of this year’s events, the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots in New York.

In 1969 gay rights activists battled police for five days in a struggle that was seen as the beginning of the recognition of homosexual rights. France’s first such march came in 1981, and homosexuality was decriminalised the following year. In Berlin the struggle against discrimination was also the day’s key theme. Organisers claimed over half a million people were out in the streets by the end of the afternoon. There was the usual cavalcade of motorised floats pumping out hi-energy music, outrageous costumes, and lots of posing.More about: Protest

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