Hungarian riot police arrest a right-wing protester during the annual Gay Pride march in downtown Budapest in 2007
© AFP/File Attila Kisbenedek

BUDAPEST (AFP) - About 450 people took part in the march in central Budapest during which the explosive devices were thrown at police from balconies.

In addition, eggs and bottles were thrown at marchers by extremists chanting threatening slogans. Three media trucks were also damaged in the violence.

Last weekend, gay pride marches in the Czech Republic and Bulgaria were also disrupted.

A report by the European Union's rights watchdog found Tuesday that a third of EU states are still failing to ensure equal rights for gays and lesbians.

The report by the Vienna-based EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) found that only 18 of the EU's 27 members afforded equal rights for gays and lesbians in the areas of employment, housing, social aid and access to services.

And it noted there was little available data showing the number of discrimination complaints based on sexual orientation.

There was still a persistent social stigma which meant gays, lesbians and transsexuals were unwilling to describe themselves as such, it concluded.

The report which was commissioned by the European Parliament to help it draw up a European directive on discrimination also pushed for a more widespread right to marriage for same-sex couples.

The Czech Republic and Hungary joined the European Union in 2004 while Bulgaria became an EU member last year.

©AFP