Parade scheduled, unclear if it will be held

Parade scheduled, unclear if it will be held

BELGRADE -- Siniša Mali says Belgrade Pride Parade has been scheduled for May, and that it depended on "assessment of the competent authority" whether it will be held.

Speaking on Wednesday, the mayor of Belgrade noted that he would decide on taking part in the gathering "when a decision is made on whether it will be held."

The parade is scheduled for May 31, and will, starting on May 19, be preceded by a number of events within Pride Week.

Head of the EU Delegation in Serbia Michael Davenport supported the LGBT community in Serbia in its efforts to fight for their rights, and said he would be taking part in Pride Week.

In a letter sent to organizers, Davenport wrote that he fully understood the importance of all the events that they organized to increase the visibility of the LGBT community in Serbia.

Davenport stressed that human rights belong to everyone, including the citizens of Serbia who belong to the LGBT community.

In accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia as well as the decisions of the Constitutional Court of Serbia regarding the prohibition of previous parades, the EU official expressed his hope that this year's Pride Week will be fully implemented as planned.

Also on Wednesday, the right-wing Dveri movement stated that they would "work actively" to make sure the gay parade is not held.

"We will inform the public of the ways and concrete measures that we will undertake in the coming days. Once we learn about the official position of the government, we will take our stance, and undertake steps," the movement's Danilo Tvrdišić told reporters.