The Straight Pride rally and counter-protesters outside Planned Parenthood in Modesto, California. (Modesto Police Department/ Facebook)

A Straight Pride rally in Modesto, California, was intended to be a gathering of hundreds of people, but according to reports it only attracted a few dozen.

Organisers of the rally, the California Straight Pride Coalition, were blocked by the city of Modesto from holding a protest in a public park and had to convene in a private barn.

According to local publication The Modesto Bee, the Straight Pride supporters gathered on Saturday (August 24) in a local venue, Durrer Barn, but the owners kicked them out after realising what the event was about. The participants then moved to protest outside a Planned Parenthood.

However there were reportedly around 250 counter-protesters, who gathered for a vigil the night before and a counter-protest in nearby Enslen Park on Saturday, outnumbering participants by around five to one.

By the time the rally reached Planned Parenthood there were around 20 participants and 200 counter-protesters.

Dozens of people gather in front of the Planned Parenthood office in Modesto. We are seeing a lot of anti-straight pride protesters here. We were hearing at one point there were straight pride parade organizers at this location but so sign of them. Lots of police @CBSSacramento pic.twitter.com/q1wW6sEnQM — Anna Giles (@AnnaGilesTV) August 24, 2019

Local police said there were “no major incidents”

Videos posted on social media of the counter-protesters show them chanting: “No hate, no fear, Straight Pride’s not welcome here.”

Although the rally was heated, Modesto Police Department reported on Facebook that there were “no major incidents.”

It added: “Even though the overwhelming number of people in attendance remained peaceful, tensions ran high.

“Police Personnel contacted several subjects throughout the day, who were found to be in possession of items prohibited by the newly passed Modesto Municipal Code Ordinance which prohibits the possession/use of certain items during protests.

“The only incident reported as of this time involved an assault on McHenry Ave involving one attendee trying to forcibly remove an object from another attendee’s hand.

“Even though this incident is considered an assault and documented as such, neither party wished to press charges and went about their day going separate ways.”

The National Straight Pride Coalition says its goals are “preventing the current and future generations of all races and colours from being destroyed by the inherent malevolence of the Homosexual Movement.”

A video posted on Twitter shows the counter-protesters chanting “don’t come back” as the Straight Pride gathering dispersed.