Dozens of members of the ultra-Orthodox community demonstrated Wednesday evening in Jerusalem in protest of the upcoming Gay Pride parade scheduled to take place in the city next Thursday.

A garbage receptacle was set on fire during the demonstration, which was organized by the head of the ultra-Orthodox community's religious court, Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch.

Earlier Wednesday, Jerusalem district police was preparing to convene in order to prepare for such forseeable protests against the upcoming parade.

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The police is expected to approve holding the parade in Jerusalem next Thursday, despite the protests of the city's ultra-Orthodox community.

The head of the gay rights organization sponsoring the parade, Noa Satat, said that "the parade will be an expression of freedom of speech and civil rights, and will bear a restrained and moderate Jerusalem character" as opposed to Tel Aviv's more flamboyant parade.

"We are calling all the participants in the parade to respect the residents of Jerusalem including the ultra-Orthodox residents. We invite anyone that the freedom of speech and the democracy in Israel is important to them, to take part in the parade," she said.

Sa'ar Netanel, a member of the city council from the Meretz party and a leader of the gay community in Jerusalem said, "The Gay Pride parade has long ago turned into a demonstration of preserving democracy and freedom of speech. It is only appropriate that it would take place in Israel's capital."

The police and the municipality are preparing for a demonstration to be held later Wednesday in the Beit Yisrael neighborhood, near Mea Shearim. The municipality removed all garbage disposals in the area in concern they would be lit on fire.