NGOs condemn Pride Parade statements

Center for Euro-Atlantic Studies (CEAS) says that Belgrade Mayor Dragan Djilas and Interior Minister Ivica Dacic’s statements about Pride Parade are shameful. The NGO added that “masks of quasi democracy are coming down“. NGOs condemn Pride Parade statements CEAS fully supports organizers of this year's Pride Parade in Belgrade. Aside from its basic function, which is to point out the problems that LGBT persons face and to request respect of the rights they are often deprived of even though they are guaranteed by the law, organizing the Pride Parade is an excellent test for the state as well, CEAS points out. “During its announcement, preparation and possible holding, masks of quasi democratic leaders fall and one can more clearly see the level of tolerance that the society has reached, as well as the level of will and power of the state to stand up to paramilitary formations that violently oppose the holding of peaceful gatherings. They are precisely the ones who jeopardized safety of the Pride Parade participants, other citizens of Belgrade and policemen last year and not the participants and organizers of the parade as it is implied by Interior Minister Ivica Dacic and Belgrade Mayor Dragan Djilas’ latest shameful statements, it is said in the organization’s announcement. CEAS points out that Dacic does not own a private security firm, as one may conclude from his statement, and that he is a minister in the state institution that everybody pay taxes to so their safety would be ensured without discrimination. “Djilas and Dacic should ask themselves what they, as important officials in their respective parties, the state of Serbia and the city of Belgrade, have done in the previous period to reduce probability of paramilitary formations rampaging around Belgrade again, and recently at (north Kosovo administrative checkpoint) Jarinje. CEAS believes that unreformed security sector, which is not capable of executing or has the power to refuse to execute given orders that are in accordance with the Constitution and the international agreements, is the biggest problem that Serbia is facing,” the organization concluded. Center for New Communication Dokukino has requested from the state authorities to support the Pride Parade and that way allow all citizens to exercise the rights guaranteed by the law. “We strongly condemn Belgrade Mayor Dragan Djilas’s statement that Serbia has more important problems than to hold the Pride Parade and a dangerous fallacy that Djilas is using to blame the participants and organizers of the Pride for problems in the economy or for the condition of human rights in Kosovo,” reads the release. “Position of LGBT persons can only be improved with hard and coordinated work of the state organs and the entire society and the Pride Parade is one of the mechanisms to do so. Therefore we expect the Democratic Party (DS), as a ruling and the biggest party in Serbia, to clearly express its position, support the holding of the Pride Parade and allow legal rights to be exercised in practice,” the NGO said in the statement. 2010 Pride Parade participants being evacuated by police (FoNet, file)

NGOs condemn Pride Parade statements

CEAS fully supports organizers of this year's Pride Parade in Belgrade.

Aside from its basic function, which is to point out the problems that LGBT persons face and to request respect of the rights they are often deprived of even though they are guaranteed by the law, organizing the Pride Parade is an excellent test for the state as well, CEAS points out.

“During its announcement, preparation and possible holding, masks of quasi democratic leaders fall and one can more clearly see the level of tolerance that the society has reached, as well as the level of will and power of the state to stand up to paramilitary formations that violently oppose the holding of peaceful gatherings. They are precisely the ones who jeopardized safety of the Pride Parade participants, other citizens of Belgrade and policemen last year and not the participants and organizers of the parade as it is implied by Interior Minister Ivica Dačić and Belgrade Mayor Dragan Đilas’ latest shameful statements, it is said in the organization’s announcement.

CEAS points out that Dačić does not own a private security firm, as one may conclude from his statement, and that he is a minister in the state institution that everybody pay taxes to so their safety would be ensured without discrimination.

“Đilas and Dačić should ask themselves what they, as important officials in their respective parties, the state of Serbia and the city of Belgrade, have done in the previous period to reduce probability of paramilitary formations rampaging around Belgrade again, and recently at (north Kosovo administrative checkpoint) Jarinje. CEAS believes that unreformed security sector, which is not capable of executing or has the power to refuse to execute given orders that are in accordance with the Constitution and the international agreements, is the biggest problem that Serbia is facing,” the organization concluded.

Center for New Communication Dokukino has requested from the state authorities to support the Pride Parade and that way allow all citizens to exercise the rights guaranteed by the law.

“We strongly condemn Belgrade Mayor Dragan Đilas’s statement that Serbia has more important problems than to hold the Pride Parade and a dangerous fallacy that Đilas is using to blame the participants and organizers of the Pride for problems in the economy or for the condition of human rights in Kosovo,” reads the release.

“Position of LGBT persons can only be improved with hard and coordinated work of the state organs and the entire society and the Pride Parade is one of the mechanisms to do so. Therefore we expect the Democratic Party (DS), as a ruling and the biggest party in Serbia, to clearly express its position, support the holding of the Pride Parade and allow legal rights to be exercised in practice,” the NGO said in the statement.