Serbian Police Ban EuroPride March, Citing Security Concerns
vowing to “curse” its attendees and saying that if he had a gun, he’d use it against people taking part in the event for flaunting and celebrating homosexuality. The far-right Zaventnici (Oathkeepers) political party also held a protest in August featuring tens of thousands of marchers calling on the Serbian government to cancel the parade.On Sunday, the day before EuroPride was scheduled to kick off, anti-Pride demonstrators, including biker gangs, far-right groups, and religious organizations held a rally “for marriage and the family” demanding the parade’s cancellation.Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has warned for weeks that the Pride march would be banned, arguing that police don’t have the manpower needed to protect Pride revelers from potential riots by right-wing groups.Serbian government officials, including Vucic and the country’s lesbian prime minister, Ana Brnabic, have said the country currently faces more pressing issues that need to be addressed, including attempts to broker a successful peace between the Serbian government and the breakaway province of Kosovo, and an energy crisis that has been exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, reports the Associated Press.“In the current geopolitical situation and tensions in the region, senseless clashes on the streets of Belgrade would make the position of our country more difficult, (and) endanger the safety of participants in the marches, as well as other citizens,” Serbian Interior Minister Aleksandar Vulin said in a statement.Serbia’s history and record on LGBTQ rights has been spotty.