64 Anti-Queer Counter Protestors Arrested In Serbia At EuroPride LGBT March As Activists Rally For Rights

The EuroPride march in Serbia was able to continue as planned on Saturday despite an apparent government ban for the march to happen, though 64 right-wing anti-queer counter-protestors were arrested by the police during the event.

The event, which was banned by the Interior Minister of the country earlier last week due to security issues, had been given the go-ahead by Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić, promising that the event would be protected by the police, according to Euronews.

The march was widely-reported to be a success by its organizers, with Brnabić’s partner, Milica Djurdjic, seen among the marchers of the crowd. Over twenty embassies and representatives from other countries participated in the march, among those U.S. Ambassador Christopher R. Hill and Vladimir Bilcik, the European Parliament's special rapporteur to Serbia, Deutsche Welle reported.

Despite this, the police clashed with right-wing counter-protestors who were seen throwing stun grenades, rocks, and other objects at the riot police guarding the march. Over 64 counter-protestors were arrested in the process, with ten police officers being injured and five police cars damaged. There have been no reported injuries or deaths from either the Pride March protestors or the right-wing counter-protestors.

“I am very proud that we managed to avoid more serious incidents,” Brnabić said.

Many of those who participated in the march see it as a moment of triumph, as the marchers called for stronger protections and enforcement of LGBT rights in the country, where gay marriage continues to be illegal and homophobia is still a problem for many in the nation, the Guardian reported.

“I’m from the U.K., where everyone is more supportive and it’s more commercial,” British model Yasmin Benoit said. “But here, this is really what Pride should be.”

“We are fighting for the future of this country,” Luka, who participated in the EuroPride march on Saturday, said.

“EuroPride is a celebration of love, a movement for equality, and part of a global campaign for human rights,” European Pride Organizers Association President Kristine Garina said. “It embodies European values and is a threat to no one and certainly not to Serbia.

“This will truly be a historic EuroPride, and the most important in our 30-year history.”