Zurich - Around 13,000 people marched through Zurich old town Saturday for the Christopher Street Day march, according to police.

Many of them wore sports kit and carried pink footballs in a nod to Euro 2008 which kicks off next Saturday.

Zurich is one of the eight host cities and the demonstrators used the occasion to call for greater tolerance of homosexuals in sport.

The march is held every year to mark clashes between homosexuals and police in Christopher Street in New York in 1969. (dpa)