Belgrade police clash with hooligans in the course of Satisfaction march

By Dusan Stojanovic | Linked Push

BELGRADE, Serbia — Riot police clashed Saturday with soccer hooligans in downtown Belgrade, the place a pan-European Pride march was held irrespective of threats from anti-gay teams and an official before ban on the march in the traditionally conservative Balkan state.

Tensions have been large in the Serbian money as ultranationalist fans hurled stun grenades, stones and flares at a police cordon, which repelled the attack with batons and riot shields. Hundreds of Satisfaction march supporters, in the meantime, collected a few kilometers (miles) absent in the pouring rain, dancing and singing their march was held on a shortened route.

“We need justice and independence,” mentioned Goran Miletic, a single of the Pleasure party organizers.

While quite a few Satisfaction marches have been held in Serbia in the previous many years, the Slavic country that is formally looking for European Union membership seems to be sliding towards Russia and its conservative traditions.

Keeping rainbow flags, hundreds of LGBTQ activists and their supporters marched by way of a central Belgrade location that was sealed off by law enforcement who place up metallic fences and stood in cordons in comprehensive riot equipment.

U.S. Ambassador Christopher Hill was amongst the members. Hill explained to N1 regional tv that “we are all brothers and sisters and God’s small children.”

“It’s an essential day for equality and an crucial working day for this country as effectively,” he mentioned.

As the column passed by a church in central Belgrade, bells constantly tolled, reflecting the Serbian Orthodox Church’s staunch opposition to the Delight functions. Contributors of the march then headed to a live performance.

Earlier, Serbian activists reported the principal cause for the march is the struggle for extra legal rights for the beleaguered LGBTQ local community in Serbia, together with guidelines that would control the rights of identical-sex partnerships, these types of as inheritance, property and other issues.

Serbian law enforcement this 7 days banned the parade, citing the danger of clashes with the considerably-suitable activists. But organizers on Saturday stated they been given ensures from Serbian Key Minister Ana Brnabic, who is a lesbian, that the celebration could go forward.

Brnabic explained she was happy that in the course of “this complete 7 days, with additional than 130 (LGBTQ) occasions, there was not one solitary incident. And that genuinely is the ideal image of Belgrade and Serbia.”

Brnabic reported 5,200 law enforcement officers ended up deployed on Belgrade streets for the duration of the Satisfaction march, 64 people today had been detained and 10 policemen sustained sight accidents.

A much-proper party leader mentioned Brnabic need to have been arrested and billed with treason for allowing the march to be held.