SERBIA: First Pride March In Four Years Takes Place Under Riot Police Protection

Serbia's first pride march since 2010 took place in the capital city of Belgrade this weekend as an estimated 7000 riot police with tanks blocked thousands of counter-protesters from disrupting the parade.  Pride parades had been banned due to mob violence led by neo-Nazis and members of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

The activists were able to advance several hundred metres through the deserted city-centre streets, but only thanks to the protection of thousands of riot police, water cannons and helicopters. It was a rare sight for Serbia, one of the most conservative countries in Europe, to witness a march akin to those found in the more cosmopolitan cities of London and Berlin. Albeit on a smaller scale and with far more security.Belgrade’s mayor, Sinisa Mali, who joined the demonstration with foreign diplomats, said it was an opportunity to show that Belgrade is a world capital where “all citizens are equal.” Darko Pandurevic, 23, from Sarajevo, who came to show solidarity with marchers, added he felt “a little bit scared,” but believed everything would be fine. Pressure from the EU is thought to be the main reason Serbian officials allowed Sunday’s event to take place after the three year ban. The country is keen to join the organisation and wants to burnish its human rights credentials. “This is a very positive and strong message,” the head of the EU mission in Serbia, Michael Davenport, told the rally. “It is also a strong message to those using hate language.”

Many photos are here.



RELATED: In 2011 the neo-Nazi organizers of the 2010 riots at Belgrade Pride were sentenced to prison. Over 200 anti-gay protesters had been arrested at the 2010 parade.

Comrade Brian Brown: I'm Proud To Collaborate With Russia's Thuggish Gov't

As we know, hate group leaders Brian Brown and Scott Lively are conspirators in Russia's pogrom against its own LGBT citizens. But the virulently anti-gay World Congress Of Families didn't only meet in Moscow last week. Via press release today:

On October 13, the delegation met in Kiev with representatives of parents groups from all over the country. The meeting was organized by Alexandar Skvortsov, co-chairman of the umbrella group, All Ukrainian Parents Committee. The Ukrainian leaders expressed concern about the pressure brought to bear on their nation to accede to the homosexual agenda (including "gay marriage") as a condition for membership in the European Union. They also noted the moral decline in society reflected in pornography (of which the Ukraine is one of the leaders internationally) and prostitution. They complained about sexual indoctrination in the schools -- in the guise of teaching sex education -- and showed the WCF leaders a booklet used for this purpose that's graphic in both content and illustrations. The same WCF leaders were in Belgrade on September 28, for a rally and family march, including as many as 10,000 participants, according to an AP report.

NOT by coincidence, on the very day that WCF was in Belgrade, city leaders abruptly banned that day's planned gay pride parade, "citing security concerns over threats of violence by the neo-Nazi groups who battled hundreds of riot police at Belgrade Pride 2010." (Image via Towleroad)

Serbian Gov't Bans Belgrade Pride, Activists March On PM's Office

For the third year in a row, yesterday the Serbian government banned Belgrade Pride, citing security concerns over threats of violence by neo-Nazi groups who battled hundreds of riot police at Belgrade Pride 2010. After Prime Minister Ivica Dacic announced the ban on state television, activists marched on his office.

"After a long discussion on whether the march would pass without severe consequences, the security assessments indicated severe threats to public safety," Dacic said after a three-hour meeting with security chiefs. "This is not a capitulation to the hooligans," he said. But as night fell, around 200 gay activists waving rainbow flags and banners that read "This is Pride" gathered outside Dacic's government office before walking to parliament flanked by riot police. They chanted "This is Serbia" and "We have pride". "Tonight we exercised our right to gather peacefully, and I don't believe we bothered anyone in Serbia," said Goran Miletic, a human rights activist and the organizer of the gay pride march.

SERBIA: Neo-Nazis Threaten Repeat Of Violence At Belgrade Pride Parade

In 2010 hundreds of Serbian riot police clashed with neo-Nazis at Belgrade Pride, resulting in over 200 arrests. The following year's event was canceled over fears of the same and last year's pride event was banned. This week neo-Nazis again threatened this year's planned parade.

At a September 24 press conference, an assortment of right-wing nationalist organizations, including the president of the now banned Obraz movement, Mladen Obradovic, denounced the planned parade and announced their own counter-protests for the same day. Ivanovic warned of trouble on the streets, just as in 2010, if the authorities decide to permit the Pride Parade. "People are deeply unsatisfied, and are telling us that they will go onto the streets in vast numbers to protest. If that happens again, we all know that Belgrade streets will see bloodshed, and that's in no one’s interest," he warned. He described the idea of holding a Gay Pride rally in Serbia as "an attempt to break the Serbian social code", which formed part of a "CIA plan for Serbia implemented after October 5, 2000 [when Slobodan Milosevic's nationalist regime was toppled]."

TRAILER: Parada

Der Spiegel says it's a hit.

The comedy "Parada" ("The Parade") was last year's surprise hit in the Balkans, with Serbian director Srdjan Dragojevic managing to draw 500,000 moviegoers into the theatres. It's especially surprising when one considers that "Parada" is about a homosexual couple who wants to organize a gay pride parade in Belgrade, despite obstacles in the form of right-wing violence and government opposition. One of the many comical aspects of the film is that the character of Limun, a thuggish war veteran, becomes responsible for the couple's security.

The trailer doesn't feel very comical to me.

(Tipped by JMG reader Henrik)

SERBIA: Cops Bust Anti-Gay Extremists In Violent Belgrade Pride Plot

Serbian authorities canceled this weekend's Belgrade Pride events on Friday, saying that they could not devote the estimated 5000 riot police needed to protect parade attendees from expected neo-Nazi protesters. Yesterday police arrested six men who were found in the possession of ski masks and baseball bats.

Riot police were deployed across Belgrade and other cities over the weekend to quell any trouble. A Pride march was held last year in Belgrade for the first time in ten years but ended in violence as 20,000 people held a counter protest. This year, reports claimed that extremists were planning to use violence and start fires to disrupt the gay rights march. Pride organisers were unwilling to cancel the event and accused authorities of giving in to threats. But human rights minister Milan Markovic told B92 that many people could have been killed. He said: “It’s far from the truth that the state has capitulated and that hooligans are more powerful than the state, that’s complete nonsense.”

SERBIA: Belgrade Pride Canceled Over Fears Of More Neo-Nazi Rioting

Saying they fear a repeat of last year's violence, the government of Serbia has canceled this weekend's pride celebrations. Last year Serbian riot police battled hundreds of neo-Nazi anti-gay rioters at Belgrade Pride, fighting back against hurled Molotov cocktails with stun grenades. Over 100 injuries were reported and almost 200 rioters were arrested.

"The ban was issued in line with the law on public gatherings which prescribes such a measure in cases of probable disruption of public transport, threats to public health or safety of people and property," Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said on Friday. Traditionally conservative societies across the Balkans have been slow to accept open homosexuality and many gay rights events in the region have ended in violence. Another government official said that Serbia's National Security Council, comprised of heads of police, security agencies, the military and President Boris Tadic, ordered police to cancel the event after security assessments indicated "extremely serious security threats." "Our intelligence indicated hooligans are poised to attack gay activists, police, media, offices of political parties, foreign businesses, embassies and burn cars," the official said.

The leader of the Serbian Orthodox Church: "I would call this pestilence a parade of shame which is smearing human dignity and the holiness of life and family."

SERBIA: Neo-Nazis Sentenced To Prison Over Violent Riots At Belgrade Pride

The neo-Nazi organizers of the violent anti-gay riot that broke out during last year's Belgrade Pride have been sentenced to prison. Over 200 people were arrested during the melee.

The Higher Court in Belgrade has sentenced far-right organization Obraz leader Mladen Obradović to two years for organizing riots during 2010 Pride Parade. His wife Jelena was sentenced to a year and Krsta Milovanović and Damir Grbić to a year and a half in prison. Remaining 13 accused persons received sentences ranging from eight months to a year and a half. They were sentenced to minimum sentences since the envisaged jail time for the criminal acts they committed is one to 12 years. Obradović and another 13 persons were accused of organizing a group which caused riots in the streets of Belgrade. The prosecution believes that the defense’s claim that the accused were defending the Orthodoxy is unacceptable and that this was discrimination and rioting.

VIDEO: Here's a clip of the riot.

(Tipped by JMG reade Alja)

SERBIA: Riot Police Clash With Violent Anti-Gay Protesters At Belgrade Pride

Serbian riot battled hundreds of neo-Nazi anti-gay rioters at Belgrade Pride today, fighting back against hurled Molotov cocktails with stun grenades. Over 100 injuries were reported and almost 200 rioters were arrested.

Thousands of police officers sealed off the streets in the capital where the march took place, repeatedly clashing at several locations with rioters who were trying to burst through security cordons. Several parked cars were set on fire or damaged, shop windows were broken, garbage containers were overturned and streets signs destroyed. Several shops were looted before police restored peace late afternoon. The anti-gay rioters also fired shots and threw Molotov cocktails at the headquarters of the ruling pro-Western Democratic Party, setting the garage of the building on fire. The state TV building and other political parties headquarters were also attacked, with many of the house windows shattered by stones. The protesters, chanting "death to homosexuals!" hurled bricks, stones, glass bottles and stun grenades at riot police. Police responded by firing tear gas and deploying armored vehicles to disperse the charging protesters in the heart of the capital even after the brief pride march ended.

The president of Serbia denounced the attacks, saying, "Serbia will guarantee human rights for all its citizens, regardless of the differences among them, and no attempts to revoke these freedoms with violence will be allowed." Serbia's Minister of Justice said that those arrested face up to eight years in prison. Early reports don't indicate whether any of Belgrade Pride's attendees were injured. Last year's pride parade was canceled over the threat of violence.

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)

Serbia To Try Gay Pride Again, Extremists Promise Violence

Serbia's last gay Pride event was in 2001, when extremists attacked participants with stones and rioted around a student center where gays had taken refuge. Subsequent attempts to restage a parade failed. But this weekend, Belgrade will try again. Orthodox Bishop Amfilohije has already warned Serbians that the event will be a "parade of shame" adding that "gay and lesbian leads to death and suicide." Skinheads and ultra-right groups promise a repeat of 2001.

Mladen Obradovic, from the ultranationalist group Obraz, told the Associated Press on Tuesday that "we will not allow this devious gathering to take place." "We are waiting for them," Obradovic said. Politika and Vecernje Novosti dailies reported that hundreds of extremists and soccer fans from Serbia and Serb areas in Bosnia are planning to attack the gay pride activists and police with Molotov cocktails and rocks. Police chief Ivica Dacic said police will secure the gathering and try to prevent the violence. He said the gay pride march is "the highest security-risk event in Serbia in a long while." Amnesty International said authorities "must condemn publicly all attacks on and threats to human rights activists, and provide protection and support during the forthcoming Belgrade Pride," the group said.

Thousands of riot police will be on hand to protect the marchers. Cross your fingers.

Warnings To Gay Eurovision Fans

The British embassy in Belgrade will issue a pamphlet of "advice" to gay fans heading to the Eurovision Song Contest in Serbia this month, after fears were raised that local fascists plan to attack homosexual attendees.

The British Embassy in Belgrade is funding the production of an information leaflet for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people planning to visit the city for the Eurovision Song Contest later this month. The Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) of Belgrade will be producing the leaflet, "with all kinds of useful information to be distributed to LGBT fans travelling to Belgrade."

The GSA says it will contain "practical information on what kind of behaviour to avoid, what safety measures to take, useful telephone numbers etc." Last month representatives of GSA, Eurovision and the Serbian police officials met to discuss the possibility of homophobic violence at this years event. The meeting, organised by GSA, sought assurances that the police will adequately protect visitors from homophobic attack.

Human rights activists have raised concerns that LGBT fans visiting Serbia will be targeted by fascist elements in the country. Gay men are a particular target, according to the president of the fascist organisation Obraz, who announced his violent intentions in the pages of daily newspaper ALO! a few weeks ago.

According to the GSA, local police want to know where to expect crowds of gay fans to gather so that they can adequately protect them. However in 2001, Serbian police stood by while fascists and others attacked a gay pride parade in which many LGBT people were seriously injured. This time around, with Serbia on the international stage for the first time in the young country's existence, it is hoped that the government will work to avoid any embarrassments.

Serbia's Eurovision: Too Dangerous For Gays To Attend?

The president of Serbia has issued "a guarantee for the safety of delegations, press and fans" attending this year's Eurovision Song Contest in Belgrade. Concerns have been raised about possible violence from Serbia's active fascist element, particularly against the many gay men that follow Eurovision so avidly.

Last week a local fascist organization vowed in their newspaper to attack gays attending the contest, calling Eurovision "gay youth day." In 2001, dozens were seriously injured when the group attacked attendees of Belgrade's first gay pride event. Video here. Serbia, one of worst places in the world to be gay, is not a member of the EU and alarms were raised when they won the right to host the 53rd annual Eurovision. The British government already advises citizens to exercise "extreme caution" when visiting Serbia.