Belgrade Pride: Will it happen?
speculation is mounting over whether the march will be able to take place amid concerns over security.
Interior Minister Ivica Dacic warned that the annual Pride parade, which is scheduled for September, carries serious security risks. The exact date of the Parade is yet to be determined after police estimates.
In June, Serbian President Boris Tadic expressed his support for the pride parade to be held, but since then the subject has not been raised by any politicians raising questions in some quarters over whether it will still go ahead.
Dacic’s party colleague, Boris Milicevic, who is founder and former president of the Gay Straight Alliance, said: “The holding of the Pride [parade] will primarily depend on political support rather than police”.
“[The] Serbian Interior Ministry has so far demonstrated their professionalism when it comes to the LGBT community and they [police officers] will certainly secure this event,” he added, referring to the 2010 parade which was secured by 5,000 police officers.
Last year, organisers held meetings with politicians for several months which resulted in their agreement of support for the event. The march was viewed as a test for Serbia’s government, which has vowed to protect human rights as it hopes to join the European Union.
However, thousands of hooligans attacked police in central Belgrade in an attempt to disrupt the parade leaving 140 people injured, 249 arrested and causing damage estimated at more than €1 million.
The first Serbian pride parade, in June 2001, was brought to a halt after clashes with protestors left several civilians and police officers injured.
The second planned pride rally in Belgrade, which was scheduled to take place in September 2009, was cancelled after police declared the risk to the marchers’ personal safety as too great following threats from right-wing groups to disrupt the event.
According to the 2011 parade organisers, little progress has been made since the parade in 2010.
Attacks on the LGBT people continue to occur but little official data has been recorded on it. This is thought to be because those assaulted do not have enough trust in institutions to report on it.
News source: www.balkaninsight.com
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