Over 100,000 French protesters rally against gay marriage, adoption

Over 100,000 French protesters rally against gay marriage, adoption

More than 100,000 people rallied across France on Saturday to protest a government bill that would grant marriage and adoption rights to same-sex couples. Police used tear gas against activists who tried to stage a counter-protest.
The tear gassing happened in the city of Toulouse, where several thousand people turned out – including many gay advocates.
Around 200 would-be counter-protesters were detained in Lyon.
Police told AFP that 70,000 people turned out to protest the bill in Paris – although event organizers put the figure at 200,000.
Paris protesters marched to the Invalides monument – the final resting place of Napoleon Bonaparte. The French leader created the country’s civil code, which states that marriage is a union between a man and a woman.
The demonstrators held banners which read, “One child (equals) one father + one mother” and called the bill a “major and dangerous upheaval.”
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Police arrest a demonstrator during a protest supporting a draft law to allow same-sex marriage in Lyon November 17, 2012 (Reuters / Robert Pratta)