To the dismay of the government and authorities, the Europride parade was celebrated in Belgrade on Saturday. Despite the ban, some 1,000 participants demonstrated in the sometimes pouring rain for the rights of gays, lesbians and other members of the LGBTIQ* community. The prosecutor threatened participants in a possible “illegal demonstration” with draconian fines. The organizers have informed the Ministry of the Interior about a significantly shortened route.
Police provided a secure corridor along the march route for the parade. In this way, she outnumbered far-right and ultra-clerical counter-protesters. Despite this, clashes broke out between the police and two right-wing groups trying to disrupt the march. Ten police officers were slightly injured, five police vehicles damaged and 64 protesters were arrested.
Originally, the rainbow parade should have gone through half of the city center. But the Interior Ministry deviated from previous years’ practice and banned the event. On Saturday, the Serbian administrative court rejected a complaint by the organizers against the decision of the Interior Ministry.
Pride marches have been held in Belgrade since 2014 without incident. This year, Belgrade was the first city in Southeastern Europe to receive the right to host a Europride.
At the end of August, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced that the Pride would be canceled or postponed. Since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, the right-wing nationalist has focused more on Russia than before. In this sense, he also seeks proximity to the ultra-conservative and pro-Russian Serbian Orthodox Church.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
