The president justified this decision by explaining that Serbia was “under pressure”, faced with “all kinds of problems”, citing in particular tensions in Kosovo. In mid-August, thousands of people have demonstrated in Belgrade against the holding of this event.
Le Monde with AFP
Serbia cancels Europride’s outfit in September, a pan -European demonstration organized each year in a different city from the continent. “In agreement with the majority of members of the government and with the Prime Minister (…) The march of pride, or whatever the name of this thing, will be postponed or canceled (…),” said president, Aleksandar Vucic, Saturday August 27.
“Simply, at one point, we cannot manage everything,” he added, explaining that Serbia was “under pressure”, confronted with “all kinds of problems”. He notably talked about a new rise in tensions in Kosovo, but also problems related to energy and food.
“Unconstitutional” cancellation
Europride’s hold was planned in Belgrade from September 12 to 18, with a week of festivities and events and a pride march scheduled for its penultimate day. This major annual event has been organized since 1992, its first edition which took place in London. In mid-August, thousands of people have demonstrated in Belgrade against the holding of this event.
The organizers of the Europride immediately reacted, recalling that several court decisions had deemed unconstitutional of previous cancellations.
“The State cannot cancel Europride – it can only try to ban it, which would be an obvious violation of the Constitution,” tweeted the coordinator of the demonstration Marko Mihajlovic. “The march will take place as scheduled on September 17,” he said.
The majority of Serbian LGBT people report abuses
Although Serbia is one of the few countries to have an openly homosexual Prime Minister, members of the LGBT community still live in fear.
Holding by hand remains a taboo for same -sex couples in the country where almost 60 % of members of the LGBT community reported physical or emotional abuses, according to a survey carried out in 2020 by defense organizations human rights, ideas and glic.
The first two marches of Belgrade pride, organized in 2001 and 2010, had been tainted with violence between activists hostile to the demonstration to the police. The parade, canceled several times before 2014, has been organized regularly since, but with an important device of the police.