Arrests at St Pete's Gay Pride

ST PETERSBURG, FL -- Four people from a Georgia evangelical group were arrested at this Weekend's gay pride celebration in St. Petersburg, Florida, after they violated a city order restricting demonstrators to a "free speech" zone a block from the festival.

ACLU criticized the city's "free speech" zone as a violation of free speech rights for both pride participants and protesters. However, most members of the evangelical group obeyed the city order and kept their protest inside the zone. Some held signs reading "Sodomy, It's To Die For" and "Adam & Eve, NOT Adam & Steve" while others used a bullhorn to denounce gays, which was generally overpowered by loud music from the festival.

People attending the festival largely ignored the demonstration, with some waving and others blowing kisses at them, but police arrested a woman at the celebration who allegedly threw a drink at one of the protestors.

Between 40,000-60,000 attended St. Petersburg's fifth annual pride festival, which has grown to become one of the largest gay pride events in the US. This year's grand marshal was Susan Stanton, who was fired from her job as a city manager for neighboring city Largo when she announced she was undergoing male to female sex reassignment.