No Pride in Belgrade, once more!

The Prime Minister and the Ministry of Interior in Serbia, Ivica Dacic, announced on October 3rd that they would ban this year’s Belgrade Pride once again, just three days before the event is held in downtown. Authorities rejected giving permission to the event out due to “safety concerns”.

 

The National Security Council decided to ban the event, as well as any other public gathering that could happen on 6 October, which is when the Pride was due. Several Members of the European Parliament, including Marije Cornelissen, Keith Taylor and Jelko Kacin, were also planning to march at the Pride. Jelko Kacin MEP, European Parliament Rapporteur for Serbia, commented: “I regret that freedom of expression and assembly, two cornerstones of all European democracies, cannot be exercised freely by all Serbian citizens. This ban is a lost opportunity for Serbia, and it gives an impression the country does not deserve. Serbian police are professional and capable of ensuring public law and order. I feel safe walking the street of Belgrade, and I am convinced state authorities could have ensured the safety of both the public and participants had they wanted to. This decision was a political one.”

 

Marije Cornelissen and Keith Taylor, MEPs from the Greens/EFA Group, added: “Unfortunately, homophobes won by threatening large-scale unrest and violence. Why does Serbia continue to allow high-risk football matches, providing police protection from hooligans but not homophobes? A decision like this should weigh heavily against Serbia in a decision on the opening of EU negotiations.”

 

Kristi Pinderi, a member of the Albanian delegation visiting Serbia for the Pride, has shared exclusive pictures of the exhibition in Belgrade, as well as an update for the Gay Pride: “A few hours after the government in Serbia announced that they banned the gay pride, hundreds of activists, artists and LGBT population saw the exhibition of Elisabeth Ohlson Wallin, where Jesus Christ looks different... Hundreds of policemen are still present around the place where the exhibition is still open. These pictures are taken around 5 p.m on October 3rd 2012.”

 

More pictures: http://historia-ime.com/en/english/104-exclusive-pictures-of-the-exhibition-in-belgrade-and-an-update-for-the-gay-pride.html