Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic and his deputy Aleksandar Vucic, who is also a coordinator of security services in Serbia, gave the greenlight to a Pride Parade in Belgrade, scheduled to be held on 28 September, the Belgrade media reported on Thursday evening.
According to unofficial sources, over 2,000 police will secure the event making at least three security rings around the participates in parade.
Danas daily, however, does not rule out a possibility that the parade would be cancelled at the very last minute, given the experience from previous parades.
Some sources say that organisers of Belgrade Pride would not know until after 4pm Friday whether they would be allowed to march tomorrow for the first time in three years . Serbia’s Bureau for Coordination of Security Services will meet at 4pm today to decide whether Saturday’s Belgrade Pride march can go ahead. Organisers say they have made all preparations for the march, but cannot rule out a last minute ban by the government which has been sending hot and cold signals about the event – which has been banned since 2010 after far right thugs rioted in the city, injuring 78 police officers.
Organisers said the Parade was scheduled to start at 10am Saturday in Belgrade's Manjez Park. Organisers also said that participants in the pride would be addressed by Swedish Minister for EU Affairs Brigitta Ohlsson and European Parliament Special Rapporteurs Jelko Kacin. Of Serbian officials, only Minister in charge of European Integration Branko Ruzic and the head of Serbia's team for negotiations with the EU, Tanja Miscevic, announced their participation.
