Deputy Prime Minister Petra De Sutter (Greens) has asked Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic to enter into a dialogue with the organisers of the EuroPride in the capital Belgrade and to find solutions to allow the event to take place.
“Cancelling a march does not necessarily remove tensions, but can also create one,” stated De Sutter. Normally, the EuroPride would take to the streets of Belgrade on Saturday, but the government has not allowed the original route.
A human rights conference is also taking place on the fringes of the event. De Sutter was asked to open that conference but was also invited by Prime Minister Brnabic for a meeting. “It is important that the pride parade can continue,” said the deputy prime minister.
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“To be clear: security risks must be taken seriously, but care must also be given to not just follow the agenda of groups that target LGBTQI+ rights."
According to De Sutter, the EuroPride, like the waving rainbow flag, are symbol of human rights. “They show that LGBTQI+ people exist and are part of every society. The tensions surrounding this EuroPride make it clear: human rights must be kept alive among people,” emphasises the minister.
“If we no longer pay heed to human rights, they will flicker out. I see human rights as a fire that you have to keep blowing on.”
