Several thousand people participated in an LGBTQ march in Serbia on Saturday to mark the conclusion of EuroPride week, an annual event held in a different European city. Police and right-wing protesters engaged in violent altercations during the march.
The march was being disrupted by two right-wing organisations, according to Prime Minister Ana Brnabic, who also said that 64 protestors had been detained and that 10 police officers had received minor injuries.
As Serbia’s first openly gay prime minister, Brnabic told reporters, ‘I am quite satisfied that we were able to prevent more serious tragedies.’
The government had last week prohibited the march in response to concerns from nationalists and religious organisations. However, in response to requests from representatives of the European Union and human rights advocates, it permitted a shorter path for the march.
Participants travelled several hundred metres on foot to the Tsmajdan stadium, where a concert was being held.
Christopher Hill, the US ambassador to Serbia, and Vladimir Bilcik, the Serbia special rapporteur for the European Parliament, participated in the march.
Pride parades were prohibited by Serbian administrations in the past, which angered human rights organisations and others. Early in the 2000s, some Pride marches encountered vehement resistance and were marred by violence.
However, recent Pride marches in Serbia have gone off without incident; as a result, Belgrade was selected as this year’s host city by EuroPride organisers. The 2021 event was held in Copenhagen.
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