Serbia won't allow a pan-European LGBTQ Pride event to take place next month. The president cited threats from right-wing extremists and fears of clashes.
El presidente serbio Aleksandar Vucic en Belgrado el 21 de agosto dfel 2022. Serbia won't allow a pan-European LGBTQ Pride event to take place in Belgrade next month, the president said Saturday, citing threats from right-wing extremists and fears of clashes.
“This is a violation of minority rights, but at this moment the state is pressured by numerous problems," he said. An organizer in Serbia, Goran Miletic, said police must formally ban the march to prevent it from happening. If they issue a ban, organizers would file a complaint at Serbia's Constitutional Court. He insisted that indoor events planned as part of the week-long celebration can't be banned.
Serbia's right-wing and pro-Russian groups have gained strength in the past several years and some secured parliament seats during the country's April general"It’s not the question of whether they are stronger, but you just can’t do it all at the same moment, and that's it,” Vucic said. “I am not happy about it but we can’t manage.”
After Belgrade's 2010 pride march produced clashes, subsequent marches took place with strong police protection. The Serbian government has condemned the Russian invasion but has refused to join Western sanctions against Russia.