The Europride, scheduled in Belgrade today, will take place, but in a reduced form. The cancellation of the event by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, motivated by pressure from far-right parties and some representatives of the Orthodox Church, did not discourage civil rights activists. The organizers were ready for a legal battle, the lgbtq + associations mobilized with a collection of 27,000 signatures and the Council of Europe had defined the decision of the authorities as “deplorable”.
For this reason, the Serbian government, led by Ana Brnabic, the first lesbian woman declared to receive a government post, promised the European Commission that it would eventually allow the parade, but its itinerary would be significantly shorter. The parade will symbolically start from the seat of the Constitutional Court, which in the past has repeatedly declared previous prohibitions illegitimate.
To underline the support of the European Union for the initiative, the presence of the EU Commissioner for Equality, Helena Dalli, who went to Belgrade to participate in the event. «Happy to be in Belgrade for the 30th anniversary of Europride and to defend equality and rights for all. I look forward to discussions with the government, civil society and participants in the human rights conference, ”the Maltese commissioner wrote on Twitter.
The Renew Europe group also confirmed the news of the parade. «After the massive international pressure and the hard work of the NGOs, it seems that the Pride Parade has finally been given the green light to take place. This shows why our presence is so important and to strengthen our partners and show that EU countries are paying attention to the transgression of basic democratic principles, ”the liberals wrote in a statement.
Clashes are feared over the conservative counter-demonstration
Other events are scheduled for the day in the capital, including a promotion of Formula One and the swearing in of military academy cadets. The conservative and homophobic counter-demonstration – also announced and formally banned – against the rainbow march and in support of the “traditional family” is worrying. The restrictive measure, as noted by the government, concerns rather the path of the two marches and not the respective demonstrations as such.
President Vučić: respect the cancellation of Europride
The Serbian president, Aleksandar Vučić, has asked to respect the law. “When it comes to the march on the occasion of the Europride, I think that the law and the decision of the Ministry of the Interior (which banned the event) will be respected,” he said in an interview with private TV Pink.
Interior Minister Vulin: ban confirmed, no yielding to pressure from the West
This was echoed by Interior Minister Aleksandar Vulin, who confirmed: “Due to various lies, innuendo and attempts to humiliate Serbia, its legal system and its institutions, I intend to communicate to Serbian citizens that no one, much less the Ministry of the Interior, has never yielded in the face of pressure from the great Western powers. The ban on the carrying out of the Europrode 2022 march, as already announced, remains in force, ”said Vulin, quoted by the media in Belgrade.
Prime Minister Brnabic at the Nordic Embassy party for rights
Meanwhile, Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic, Minister of Tourism and Commerce Tatjana Matic and Commissioner for Human Rights Brankica Jankovic last night attended a party organized in Belgrade by some Nordic embassies (Norway, Sweden and Denmark) in support of the Europride.
Annika Ben David, Swedish ambassador to Serbia, said that human rights must inspire every government and every society. “We are here to send the message that anyone has the right to love whoever they want, to live as they want and to be who they are. Democracy means inclusion, ”explained the diplomat.
The Council of Europe: it is inadmissible to hit the LGBTQ + community
Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatovic, present at the evening, stigmatized all forms of hatred and homophobia that persist against the lgbtq + community. “It is inadmissible to continue hitting and targeting people who just want to live normally and show their sexuality in a normal way,” Mijatovic said.
Kristine Garina, the Latvian activist who chairs the Europride Association, on her part invited ministers and diplomats to participate in the march, the first organized in a country in Southeast Europe.