In Belgrade, LGBTQ activists march for Europride despite the ban – Ouest-France

The LGBTQ community gathered on Saturday, September 17 in Belgrade (Serbia) in the afternoon, under heavy police protection. And this despite the ban by the authorities. The parade, supposed to be the high point of this pan-European event which takes place each year in a different city, took place without notable incident. But according to local media, clashes pitted counter-protesters against police. The Serbian Interior Ministry had banned it earlier this week, citing security concerns as far-right groups threatened to stage their own protests. LGBT activists during Europride in Belgrade, September 17, 2022 | AFP / ANDREJ ISAKOVIC I have been to several Prides but this one is slightly more stressful than the others, Yasmin Benoit, model and activist told AFP in front of the Constitutional Council, the place of the rally. I’m from the UK where everyone is more supportive. We are fighting for the future of this country , underlined for his part Luka, a Serbian demonstrator who did not wish to give his surname. It was still unclear whether protesters would be allowed to proceed as they had planned to a nearby park, with Interior Minister Aleksandar Vulin warning against any unlawful march. 31 arrests Despite the ban, the demonstrators were able to travel a few hundred meters in the rain, between the Constitutional Council and a nearby park, a much shorter route compared to the Pride march initially planned. Large riot police were deployed around the rally and repelled small groups of counter-protesters brandishing crosses and religious insignia, according to AFP journalists. LGBT activists kiss in Belgrade, during Europride, September 17, 2022. | AFP / ANDREJ ISAKOVIC The Ministry of the Interior had also banned all counter-demonstrations, but in far-right chat groups, users had promised to protest against the Pride. According to the ministry, 31 people were arrested. The authorities did not specify who it was, but AFP journalists saw several counter-protesters being arrested. International pressure against the ban on the march The ban on the march caused consternation among rights NGOs. It’s a shameful surrender, and an implicit consecration of intolerance and threats of unlawful violence, according to Graeme Reid, director of the LGBT rights program at Human Rights Watch. Belgrade has been the subject of intense international pressure – more than 20 embassies, including those of the United States, France, Germany or Japan, having called on it in a joint statement to reverse its decision. Serbia has been a candidate for membership of the European Union for a decade but member states have over the years raised concerns about its rights record. Rooted homophobia Homosexual marriage is not legal in this country of less than seven million inhabitants, where homophobia is deeply rooted despite some progress against discrimination. The Pride marches of 2001 and 2010 were targeted by the far right and marred by violence. Since 2014, the Pride has been held without notable incident but under strong police protection. Last weekend, thousands of people, motorcycle gangs, Orthodox priests and far-right nationalists, took to the streets to demand the cancellation of the parade. chevron_leftchevron_right