Civil disobedience. This Friday, representatives of the LGBTQ community announced that they would march in Belgrade on Saturday on a shortened route despite the ban on the Europride march by the Serbian authorities.
Serbia, a candidate country for the European Union, has come under intense international pressure since it banned the parade, the high point of Europride, a pan-European event held each year in a different country.
Petition, shortening… The president does not budge
“We have been pushed into a situation where we have no choice. Despite the ban, we will gather,” Goran Miletic, one of the Belgrade Pride organizers, told reporters.
The organizers presented a petition to the Serbian government having collected nearly 30,000 signatures according to them.
They agreed to considerably shorten the route of the parade planned for the end of the afternoon but uncertainty remained over its holding, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic reaffirming that the ban on demonstrations issued by the Ministry of the Interior would be respected.
Far-right groups threaten to stage counter-pride
Rights NGOs across Europe denounced Belgrade’s decision while more than 20 embassies in Belgrade, including those of the United States, Germany, France and the Netherlands, Canada or Japan, called on Friday for a “solution allowing a march of Europride to take place in security, legality and peace”.
“We support the fight against hate speech, violence and discrimination against LGBTIQ+ individuals and communities in all regions of the world, including Serbia,” the embassies’ joint statement said.
The Interior Ministry had formally banned the march on Tuesday citing security concerns, with far-right groups threatening to carry out a counter-Pride. He also banned counter-demonstrations.
Serbia must take care of its image… and its right to enter the EU
Serbia has been an EU candidate for a decade but member states have raised concerns over the years about its human rights record.
The ban came after Aleksandar Vucic called for it in late August, citing tensions with the former Serbian province of Kosovo or energy concerns.
Gay marriage is not legal in the country of less than seven million inhabitants where homophobia is deeply rooted despite some progress against discrimination.
The Pride marches of 2001 and 2010 were marred by violence after being targeted by the far right.