Antigay protesters clash with police in Poland

Polish prosecutors asked a Warsaw court on Monday to hold in custody two people arrested while protesting an unauthorized gay pride parade, a police spokesman said. The two were among 29 people detained during clashes with police on Saturday as they were trying to block more than 2,000 gay rights marchers, who proceeded with their parade despite being denied permission by the city's mayor. Warsaw police spokesman Mariusz Sokolowski said the two face charges of assaulting police. The court can hold them for up to three months while the case is being investigated. If convicted, they can be fined or given short prison terms. Twenty-two others have been released but will face charges in local misdemeanor courts; two minors have also been released and the rest have already been fined by the police, Sokolowski said. Interior minister Ryszard Kalisz on Monday defended the police against criticism from Mayor Lech Kaczynski, who said they used excessive force against the people who were trying to disrupt the banned parade. Kalisz said the police were "doing their job." (AP)