Pride march in Serbia condemns police violence at antigovernment rallies

The LGBTQ lawsuit successful Belgrade comes the time aft constabulary arrested 42 demonstrators successful the metropolis of Novi Sad.

A Pride march successful cardinal Belgrade has decried constabulary brutality against antigovernment demonstrators successful Serbia, pursuing 10 months of sustained protests against right-wing populist President Aleksandar Vucic.

The event, which passed without incidental connected Saturday, besides offered enactment to the assemblage students who are starring nationwide calls for drawback elections, a request Vucic continues to brushwood off.

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“We cannot adjacent our eyes astatine what’s happening successful our country,” said the Pride march organisers, who cited constabulary unit and the apprehension of protesters.

“Pride won’t instrumentality portion successful creating a semblance of normalcy,” they added, noting that this year’s Pride march was itself a protest.

At the gathering successful the centre of the Serbian capital, participants held banners, including 1 that work “Gays against constabulary state!”

The country’s student-led protestation question began successful November, erstwhile 16 radical were killed aft a train presumption extortion collapsed successful the bluish metropolis of Novi Sad.

Demonstrators person blamed the calamity connected entrenched corruption, with their archetypal petition for a transparent probe morphing into demands for caller elections.

The archetypal 9 months of nationwide demonstrations mostly took spot peacefully, earlier convulsive clashes broke retired successful mid-August. Since then, dozens of civilians and constabulary officers person sustained injuries crossed the country.

Late connected Friday, thousands of protesters gathered successful Novi Sad for speeches earlier marching towards the city’s assemblage campus.

Police utilized teardrop state and stun grenades to interruption up the march, with students accusing them of launching “brutal attacks connected their ain citizens”.

Interior Minister Ivica Dacic told the state-run RTS connected Saturday that 13 constabulary officers were injured arsenic a effect of a “massive and brutal attack” by demonstrators, 42 of whom were detained.

Speaking astir the incidental connected Friday, Vucic claimed protesters were attempting to “threaten the stableness and information of Serbia” and “occupy the assemblage premises successful Novi Sad”.

“People successful Serbia should cognize that the authorities is stronger than anyone … that volition ever beryllium the case,” helium said.