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Serbia Gay Pride march returns after four years | Serbia Gay Pride march returns after four years |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Serbia's first Gay Pride march for four years has been held in the capital Belgrade, amid massive security, including special forces and tanks. | |
Waving rainbow flags, hundreds took the short march through empty streets. | |
Authorities had cancelled the event every year since marchers were attacked in 2010 - nine years after Gay Pride was first held in Belgrade. | |
Serbia is keen to show increasing tolerance as it seeks to join the EU, the BBC's Guy De Launey says. | |
Keeping Brussels happy is undoubtedly the motivation for allowing the Gay Pride march to go ahead, our correspondent in Belgrade says. | |
Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic had announced he would not attend the event due to prior engagements - but also made it clear he would not have gone even if he had been free. | |
Our correspondent says that reflects widespread feelings in Serbia. | Our correspondent says that reflects widespread feelings in Serbia. |
The patriarch of the influential Orthodox Church has condemned the event. | The patriarch of the influential Orthodox Church has condemned the event. |
Two-thirds of respondents to a survey four years ago said they viewed homosexuality as a disease. | Two-thirds of respondents to a survey four years ago said they viewed homosexuality as a disease. |
But Sunday's march took place without incident, with marchers blowing whistles as a police helicopter flew over them. | |
Participants marched through the centre of the city to the National Assembly, where ambassadors from numerous European countries addressed the crowd. | |
"I feel phenomenal. Our efforts of the past three years have borne fruit," organiser Boban Stojanovic told Reuters news agency. | |
On Saturday evening, anti-gay rights campaigners demonstrated in the capital in anticipation of the Gay Pride march on Sunday. | On Saturday evening, anti-gay rights campaigners demonstrated in the capital in anticipation of the Gay Pride march on Sunday. |
But the influence of the far right has declined in recent years, our correspondent says, and several government ministers have spoken in favour of the march. | But the influence of the far right has declined in recent years, our correspondent says, and several government ministers have spoken in favour of the march. |
Earlier in September a German LGBT ( lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender) rights speaker was treated in hospital after being beaten in Belgrade. | |
In response to the attack, Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic said: "We will not allow this kind of thing to remain unpunished." | In response to the attack, Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic said: "We will not allow this kind of thing to remain unpunished." |
The march in 2010 was the only gay pride parade to go ahead in the Serbian capital since 2001. | The march in 2010 was the only gay pride parade to go ahead in the Serbian capital since 2001. |