Nearly two-hundred gay and lesbian couples formed a flashmob
wedding protest in the U.S. state of Ohio, last weekend.
The gathering was a symbolic gesture to lawmakers, who currently
do not allow same-sex marriage in the city of Cleveland.
Organisers have since claimed that the high turn-out of protesters
make it possibly the "largest illegal mass wedding ever
held".
Held at The Galleria - a two floor shopping mall
that opened in 1987 and hosts wedding ceremonies - it saw
gay and lesbian couples dressed in traditional wedding
attire.
"There are over a thousand benefits available to married couples
by the federal government that are denied to same-sex couples,"
participant Rick Starn told local newspaper Cleveland Plain
Dealer.
There, eight priests and ministers recited marriage vows to give
the impression of a formal, legally-binding ceremony.
This was followed by an hour of speeches by activists on the
steps of Cleveland City Hall, where a gay pride flag flew under the
American flag, the Plain Dealer add.
Same-sex marriage is legal in New York, Connecticut, Iowa,
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maryland, Washington and the
District of Columbia.
