Police held back around 50 protesters at the annual Auckland Pride Parade, preventing them from joining the event.

Photo: RNZ / Eileen Cameron

Tens of thousands of people turned out on Ponsonby Road for the colourful and flamboyant parade.

The queer and transgender activist group No Pride in Prisons was protesting at the event because it was scheduled to include members of the police and the Department of Corrections.

The group said it was disgraceful that the Auckland Pride Board decided to include the organisations in the parade.

It said Corrections' policies directly contributed to physical and sexual violence against trans and queer prisoners.

Protesters held placards and chanted slogans, such as stop the police, abolition prisons, and it's not your parade.

About 20 police officers held back the protesters back from joining the parade route. No arrests were made.

Punches fly as police block #NoPrideInPrisons from their parade. Pride began as protest against police brutality pic.twitter.com/MSBfqV7hou — Michael Tavares (@thewildernerd) February 20, 2016

The pride parade is stop-starting / really slow because there’s a protest up the K Rd end of Ponsonby — Jeth (@JessEtheridge) February 20, 2016

The Pride Parade was also honouring 30 years since homosexual reform.