Kiev hosts largely incident-free gay pride march

Participants take part in the equality march in Kiev, Ukraine, June 18, 2017. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

KIEV (Reuters) - Ukrainian politicians and foreign diplomats joined thousands marching for gay pride in Kiev on Sunday, carrying banners and waving rainbow and Ukrainian flags in a parade flanked by a thick cordon of helmeted police.

Some supporters of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights see progress in Ukraine as symptomatic of the country's closer integration with the European Union and rejection of its ties with neighbouring Russia.