October 11th, 2010
A
protest against a gay pride march in Belgrade on Sunday ended in violence and looting. Riot police attempted to protect participants from protesters throwing petrol bombs, bricks, and shouting “death to homosexuals.” Once police pushed protesters back, violence continued even after the march ended in other parts of the capital as rioters smashed windows, looted stores. Protesters also attacked the Austrian embassy, the state television station building, and headquarters of the Democratic party, the current ruling party, along with the headquarters of its coalition partner the Socialist Party.
Sunday’s event was the first gay pride march since 2001, which was disrupted by a similar protest. Around
110 police officers were reported injured in the incident, while more than 100 people were arrested.
May 18th, 2010
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court has fined seven activists for participating in a gay pride march. Riot police
forcibly detained activists on the Slavic Gay Parade in the capital Minsk on Saturday. About 230 people gathered for the annual event, which is held in a different country ever year to mark International Day Against Homophobia.
Local officials banned the march on the grounds that it would pass too close to underground pedestrian crossings and metro stations. In a separate incident on M
onday, activists were arrested protesting against the detention of political prisoners Mikalai Autukhovich and Uladzimir Asipenka. On Friday, a court fined Maksim Vinyarski of the European Belarus movement for participating in a protest held in March against the prisoners’ detention.
February 11th, 2010
Moscow gay pride parade organisers have complained to the European Court of Human Rights about the ban on the 2009 parade. Moscow’s
Mayor Luzhkow has previously labelled the parade “satanic” and the case follows a number of unsuccessful appeals against the bans in the Russian court system. Moscow Pride are seeking €200,000 in damages from the Russian Federation. The Strasbourg court has given Russian authorities ten days to lay out their position on the ban.
