Thousands of opponents of a pan-European LGBTQ event planned for this week in Belgrade marched through the Serbian capital on Sunday despite an announced ban of Europe’s largest annual gay gathering.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has cancelled the international EuroPride event that was scheduled to be held in Belgrade from September 12-18, while organisers of the event have vowed that it will proceed as planned.
Vucic said Serbia’s police cannot cope with possible riots by right-wing groups against the Pride march amid a crisis over Serbia’s breakaway province of Kosovo as well as the energy crisis caused by the war in Ukraine.
Serbia’s rights groups have meanwhile urged supporters to join the Pride march as part of struggle for democracy that they say is under threat in Serbia from Vucic’s autocratic regime.
Several EU officials have said they will join the LGBTQ events, while those calling on the Serbian government to reverse the announced ban include U.S. State Secretary Antony Blinken.
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