A group of Orthodox Jews have been slammed for paying Mexican laborers to put on their traditional attire and protest against homosexuality at New York's Pride parade - so that younger members of the congregation didn't have to watch the LGBT event.

The Mexican workers, who were were holding anti-gay placards and were fenced off by police, wore the Jewish prayer garment known as the tzitzit on behalf of the Jewish Political Action Committee.

One of the demonstrators admitted to The New York Times he was being paid to stand there by the religious group based in Brooklyn - and said he was subjected to abuse by parade-goers.

'Fake Jews': These men are believed to have been among the Mexican laborers paid to wear traditional Jewish garments and protest at New York's Pride festival on Sunday

The group held anti-gay placards as they watched LGBT parade-goers celebrate the same-sex marriage laws

Revelers kissed openly in front of them and threw water bottles into their area to display their anger, he added.

At one point, they streamed into the laborers' cordoned-off area and started a fight with the group.

Heshie Freed, a member of the Jewish Political Action Committee, said the Mexicans were 'supplementary troops', filling in for Jewish students.

'The rabbis said that the yeshiva boys shouldn’t come out for this because of what they would see at the parade,' he told the newspaper.

'It’s been a lot of confrontation. Whenever you have emotions, you have a situation.'

One of the signs being held up by the group was: 'Judaism prohibits homosexuality.'

Thousands turned out in New York on Sunday for the festival.

Many were celebrating Friday's decision by the Supreme Court to legalize same-sex marriage.

This year's parade was launched by renowned thespians Sir Ian McKellan and Sir Derek Jacobi. During one of the VIP parties afterwards, Caitlyn Jenner made her first public appearance.

These are believed to be genuine members of the Jewish Political Action Committee protesting at the event