Belgrade Pride Parade Ban to Damage Serbia’s EU Hopes

The banning of the Belgrade Pride Parade for a third successive year could have an impact on Serbia’s EU integration.

The head of the EU delegation in Serbia, Michael Davenport, commented that the ban is a fundamental infringement of human rights and will be noted in the upcoming European Commission report.

"Serbian authorities need to develop a proactive approach towards the better inclusion of the LGBT population and a greater understanding across society", stated Davenport to the daily newspaper Politika.

The march was due to be held last Saturday, but the local authorities decided to call it off for safety reasons, amidst threats from extreme right-wing organizations.

In 2009, 2011 and 2012, the authorities also banned the parade, after police declared they could not safeguard marchers from right-wing violence.

Serbia's first Pride march was brought to a halt in Belgrade in June 2001 when protesters clashed with police, reminds balkaninsight.com.

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