28 minutes agoSerbia bans holding Crenaria parade
Periskopi(4 years ago)
(4 years ago)Serbian authorities have halted the EuroPride march several days before the pan-European rally was scheduled to be held in Belgrade. This announcement has prompted criticism from organisers of this event dedicated to the LGBT community. The organisation “Belgrade Framework” wrote on Twitter on 13 September that Serbian police have halted this year's EuroPride march and organisers were [...]
The organisation “Belgrade Framework” wrote on Twitter on 13 September that Serbian police have halted this year's EuroPride march and organisers have been submitted to official announcement.
But, this organisation pledged to use all legal ways to abolish this “decision in order to organise this year's Crenaria Parade.
Interior Ministry later confirmed for REL that the first EuroPride march to be held on 17 September in Belgrade has been halted. It has also been banned from holding a counterproposed on the same day.
The ministry said it has “high security risks for participants, but also for the security of other citizens”. This minister added that after a security assessment, they have come to the conclusion that maintaining such a march would pose a risk to violence, destruction of property and other forms of breaking public order on a large scale”.
Serbian Interior Minister Aleksandar Vulin added that “in the current geopolitical situation and tensions in the region, meaningless clashes on the streets of Belgrade would make our country's position more difficult and would endanger the safety of participants in the gear, but also of other citizens”.
The stop for conducting the march comes days after protesters against Crenaria Parade marched to Belgrade. The protest was organised by far-right groups, with the support of the Serbian Orthodox Church.
Tensions in Serbia have increased since Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vuciq, last month called for the annulment of EuroPride.
But, the organisers of this event said they would hold it and started EuroPride Week on 12 September, setting rainbow-colored flags. This event passed without incident.
After the ban was announced, during a conference in Belgrade attended by Serbian Prime Minister Anna Brnabiq, who is lesbian, some protesters demanded that the march be held.
“It's your basic human right”, Brnabiq replied, when protesters cheered “Let us march on Saturday”.
EuroPride promotes the pride of lesbians, homosexuals, bisexuals and transgians at the pan-European level, and since 1992 is organised by a different European city every year.
