A gay rights activist flashes a victory sign during a rally in Belgrade. About 5 000 Serbian police clashed with anti-gay protesters on Sunday, leading to arrests and many injuries as Belgrade hosted its first gay rights rally in nearly a decade.
Belgrade - Riot police in Serbia clashed with hundreds of far-right supporters who tried to disrupt a gay pride march in downtown Belgrade on Sunday. More than a dozen people were injured, officials said.
Thousands of police officers sealed off the streets in the capital where the march took place, repeatedly clashing at several locations with rioters who were trying to burst through security cordons.
The protesters, chanting “death to homosexuals”, hurled bricks, stones, glass bottles and firecrackers at riot police. Several parked cars and shop windows were damaged and at least one police vehicle was set on fire.
Hospital officials said at least 18 people, about half of them police officers, were injured. Police said several rioters were arrested.
Sunday's march is viewed as a major test for Serbia's government, which has launched pro-Western reforms and pledged to protect human rights as it seeks European Union membership.
Right-wing groups broke up a pride march in 2001 and forced the cancellation of last year's event.
Vincent Degert, the head of the EU mission in Serbia, addressed around 1 000 gay activists and their supporters who gathered at a park in downtown Belgrade which was surrounded by riot police, including armoured vehicles.
“We are here to celebrate this very important day to celebrate the values of tolerance, freedom of expression and assembly,” Degert told the crowd waving rainbow flags.
The brief 15-minute march ended without violence, with the participants heading into a downtown hall for a party. Some chanted, “We have succeeded.”
Hospital officials said a group of young men attacked the headquarters of a women's human rights organisation early on Sunday, injuring one activist. The “Women in Black” organisation said the men were looking for gays.
The US Embassy in Belgrade said there was a high potential for violence before, during and after the march and strongly recommended that its personnel avoid the downtown area for the day. The same right-wing group set the embassy on fire during riots in 2008 to protest US support for Kosovo's independence.
Right-wing groups say the gay events are contrary to Serbian family and religious values. Most of the rioters on Sunday were young football fans whose groups have been infiltrated by neo-Nazi and other extremist organisations. - Sapa-AP
coppied by http://www.iol.co.za/news/world/rioters-target-gay-pride-march-1.685140
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