Serbia Cancels Belgrade Pride: We Can't Protect The Marchers From Violence

Backing down on their promise to protect marchers with thousands of riot police, the Serbian government has canceled Belgrade Pride, which was to occur this weekend for the first time since 2001.

Authorities have told organizers of the Pride Parade that the safety of its participants cannot be guaranteed and that, therefore, the event cannot be held. Organizers held an emergency press conference after a meeting with Prime Minister Mirko Cvetković, at which they were told that the risk of excessive attacks on the rally is too great for police to guarantee safety for everyone involved. Organizers of the Pride Parade stated that this does not mean that the event will be prohibited, rather that it may be relocated, because the risk of excessive attacks is very high, and the police might not be able to protect the participators at the agreed location—the plateau in front of the Philosophy Faculty. “It is not a prohibition de jure, but a prohibition de facto,” Organizational Committee official Dušan Kosanović said.

Minority organizations have stated that moving the rally to a different location is out of the question. Kosanović said that the recommendation to move the rally to Ušće, located on the mouth of the Sava River into the Danube, where many large concert events are held, is not acceptable. He said that according to the law on public gatherings, no rally has been scheduled to be held at that location, and therefore cannot be allowed. “The symbolism of this event everywhere in the world is to symbolically walk through the center of the city and show that we are equal citizens. We don’t want to walk on some field in Ušće, that would not be a Pride Parade,” organizational committee member Majda Puača said.

Belgrade Pride has issued a strong denouncement of the decision on their site.

In the last 48 hours the police in meetings with pride organizers refused all cooperation for the securing of the pride, applying further pressure to organizers to cancel. Police refused to take responsibility for maintaining public order during the event. Instead telling the Pride organizers that they would be held responsible for any public damage caused by the hooligans and fascist groups who have been organizing a violent response to Pride. In the past week the logistical plans of fascist groups for their violence towards pride participants have been published in Serbian media, these plans include calls for the lynching and beating LGBT people attending the pride. Serbia has laws against hate speech but at no point has there been any move on the part of authorities to prosecute, instead the official line has been that this is “a debate, an exchange of opinions.”

Ultra-right extremists celebrated.

The ultra-nationalist Serb Popular Movement 1389 hailed the cancellation of the march as "a great victory for normal Serbia." The group said it would be going ahead with its own demonstration planned at the philosophy faculty at 8:00 am (0600 GMT), three hours before the Gay Pride would have begun, for a "non-violent and non-deviant popular Serb rally." "In our city, infidels and Satanists will not pass," it added. Ultra-nationalist group, Nasi (Ours), warned that "European Union and American leaders who support (homosexuals) should know that as long as there are Orthodox Serbs there will be no homosexual parade in Serbia."

Several days ago soccer hooligans unveiled the banner below during a match. It was allowed to remain.(Via - Towleroad)