Serbs lift Albanian flags in Belgrade, banners with Putin protest LGBTQ parade

“Save our children and families”. On this appeal, thousands of Muslim and right-wing opponents of the parade that the LGBQ community protested on Sunday in the streets of Belgrade, even though Serbian President Aleksandar Vuciq announced that the event could be cancelled or postponed. The parade, EuroPride, was due to be held in Belgrade on 17 September, but amid threats from extreme right-right activists, Vuciq said Serbia should focus on other major problems, and for example, cited tensions in relation to Kosovo...

Sunday's festivities against the Europrede march were held during a procession to mark a religious holiday and were led by clergymen of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Some members of the clergy said that the Crenaria Parade threatens the values of the traditional family and should be banned. Other participants in the protests called slogans in support of nationalist causes, removed Albanian flags posted on the eve of Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama's birthday in Belgrade, and waved Russian flags in support of traditional ally Moscow.

The European Union immediately expressed regret over Serbia's decision to cancel or postpone holding EuroPride, while saying the European bloc supports equality and opposes any form of discrimination. In a response to free Europe, spokeswoman Ana Pisonero said they welcome clarifications from authorities in Serbia and that they will closely follow the situation. / A2 CNN