The Tension Over Belgrade Pride

Due to recent threats against the gay community, details of this year’s pride parade in Belgrade, Serbia, scheduled for October 2, will be withheld until further notice.

After the uprising that occurred at last year’s event, organizers are concerned that the parade may again be targeted by violent extremists, so the exact time and route will be announced at a later date.

A wire service report notes that “tensions in Belgrade rose over the recent weeks as extremist organizations again issued threats against the gay population. A far-right movement, Dveri, this week linked the parade with the possibility of a coup against the authorities.”

At last year’s parade in Belgrade, over 1,000 gay men and women marched behind cordons of riot police through deserted streets just blocks from a virtual war between thousands of police officers and violent ravagers. Over a hundred police officers were injured in the conflict, in which cars were overturned and stores were ransacked and looted.

In 2001 the city’s first attempt at a pride parade was halted before it began after a group of gays was badly beaten during an ambush.

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