HAVANA — Chanting “Long live a diverse Cuba” and carrying rainbow flags, Cuban gay rights activists held an unauthorized pride parade in Havana this weekend despite a warning against it by the Communist government, which called it subversive, in a highly unusual show of civil disobedience in the one-party state.

More than 100 Cubans marched from Havana’s Central Park to the seafront boulevard before being stopped by dozens of security officials.

At least three activists were arrested by plainclothes police officers, and others were ordered to disperse because the march did not have an official permit.

Activists had called for their own parade after the state-run National Center for Sex Education, or Cenesex, last week abruptly canceled its 12th annual conga against homophobia, Cuba’s equivalent of gay pride.