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Gay News; Anti-gay protestors fought the police and ran riot through the streets in an attempt to halt yesterday's Belgrade Pride
By: Nigel Robinson
Rioters:"Death to homosexuals"
Rioters:"Death to homosexuals"
Belgrade Pride descends into violence
11 October 2010
Gangs of skinheads threw petrol bombs and stones at armoured riot police who responded with tear gas and rubber bullets.
Over hundred people, mainly police, were injured and one hundred arrests were made.
The trouble started as 1,000 people marched through the streets of the Serbian capital in support of gay rights in this strongly conservative country.
According to news agency AFP, far-right and nationalist protestors gathered together to confront the heavily-protected marchers and chanted, “The hunt has begun” and “Death to the homosexuals.”
Witnesses reported hearing gunshots directed at the police, and bins being upturned to block traffic on the streets.
Rioters threw Molotov cocktails at the headquarters of the ruling Democratic Party, and also attacked the state TV building before finally being dispersed by police in armoured vehicles.
This was the first gay Pride march in the city since 2001. Last year’s planned march was cancelled when police said that they could not guarantee the marchers’ safety.
Belgrade’s mayor, Dragan Djilas, however maintained that the riots had had nothing to do with the Gay Pride march, and that the rioters had used the event as an excuse for violence.
“Unfortunately, there are always people who will use every opportunity to destroy their own city,” he said. “Fortunately no lives were lost – this is the most important thing.”
The weekend’s events have been a major blow to Serbia’s image abroad.
The authorities had particularly hoped that the Gay Pride march would present Serbia to the world as a tolerant and accepting society, prior to it being considered for membership of the European Union.
