The Europride, an event eagerly awaited by the European LGBT community, will it take place as planned on Saturday? Nothing is less certain since the Serbian authorities officially banned the march on Tuesday, according to the organizers. “The Serbian police banned the Europride market this year, delivering an official notification to the organizers,” Belgrade Pride announced in a statement posted on social media. “Belgrade Pride will use all legal means to reverse this decision,” the statement added.
Tensions have been building in the small Balkan country since Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced in late September that he was calling for the parade to be cancelled, angering representatives of the LGBTQ community who promised to hold it anyway .
Several reasons cited
The Serbian head of state put forward a whole series of reasons to explain his position, evoking tensions around his former province of Kosovo or concerns about energy and food.
Organizers of Europride, a protest held in different European capitals, condemned the remarks, saying the government had no authority to call off the march.
Gay marriage is not legal in the Balkan country and homophobia is deeply rooted there despite measures taken over the years to reduce discrimination.
Past violence
In 2001 and 2010, the Belgrade Pride marches were targeted by far-right groups and serious violence erupted. Since 2014, the Belgrade Pride has been held regularly but under strong police protection.
The announcement of the ban comes days after a gigantic demonstration in Belgrade which brought together thousands of people, motorcycle gangs, Orthodox priests and far-right nationalists demanding the cancellation of the march.