ianstone
10-11-2010, 06:18 AM
Riot in Serbia as far-right thugs protest at Belgrade gay pride march
By Daily Mail Reporter (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=y&authornamef=Daily+Mail+Reporter)
Last updated at 5:48 PM on 10th October 2010
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Serbian riot police today fought running battles with hundreds of far-right supporters who tried to disrupt a gay pride march in downtown Belgrade, resulting in several casualties.
Thousands of police officers sealed off the streets in the capital where the march took place, repeatedly clashing at many different locations with rioters who were trying to burst through security cordons.
Parked cars were smashed and set on fire, shop were looted, rubbish bins were overturned and street signs destroyed.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/10/10/article-1319310-0B8E7FF7000005DC-111_634x413.jpg Riot police try to push back far-right thugs during the anti-gay pride riots today in Belgrade, Serbia
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/10/10/article-1319310-0B8EB071000005DC-917_634x394.jpg The rioters are contained by police as the gay rights parade moves along a street in downtown Belgrade
The rioters fired shots and hurled petrol bombs at the headquarters of the ruling pro-Western Democratic Party, setting the garage of the building on fire.
The state TV building and other political parties headquarters were were also attacked, with many of the house windows shattered by stones.
The protesters, chanting 'death to homosexuals!' hurled Molotov cocktails, bricks, stones, glass bottles and firecrackers at riot police.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/10/10/article-1319310-0B8EDB19000005DC-889_634x417.jpg Riot police struggle to hold back the violent anti-gay protesters
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/10/10/article-1319310-0B8EEB48000005DC-287_634x426.jpg Riot police disperse the pack of right-wing protesters intent on stopping Belgrade's first gay rights rally in nearly a decade
Police responded by firing tear gas and deploying armoured vehicles to disperse the charging protesters in the heart of the capital even after the brief pride march ended.
The protesters hijacked a bus, ordered its driver and all of its passengers out, and pushed it down a steep street before it hit an electric pole on a main Belgrade square.
Belgrade emergency hospital said 57 people were injured, including 47 policemen, one seriously.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/10/10/article-1319310-0B8E9AE5000005DC-392_634x533.jpg Police officers assist an injured officer after an anti-gay pride march turned into a riot, resulting is several injuries and arrests
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/10/10/article-1319310-0B8F0818000005DC-503_634x399.jpg Most of the rioters were young football fans whose groups have been infiltrated by neo-Nazi and other extremist organisationsl
Police said several rioters were arrested and now face the prospect of up to eight years in jail.
Right-wing groups say the gay events are contrary to Serbian family and religious values.
Most of the rioters were young football fans whose groups have been infiltrated by neo-Nazi and other extremist organisations.
Democratic Party spokeswoman Jelana Trivan blasted: 'These riots obviously have nothing to do with the gay parade or any moral values.'
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/10/10/article-1319310-0B8EF36B000005DC-573_634x440.jpg A man cycles past a burning police car during clashes between anti-gay protestors and Serbian riot police
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/10/10/article-1319310-0B8EAB26000005DC-771_634x422.jpg An injured Serb riot police officer is cared for by colleagues. Belgrade emergency hospital said 57 people were injured, including 47 policemen, one seriously
Defence Minister Dragan Sutanovac, vice president of the Democratic Party, said a part of the party's archive, warehouse and phone lines at the building were destroyed and shots were also fired at the building.
He said: 'It is high time that we deal in a very democratic way, through the courts, with those who call themselves members of the patriotic organisations. Is this Belgrade or the wild West?'
Senior Justice Ministry official Slobodan Homen said that the state response will be 'fierce'. He said that the city centre is covered with surveillance cameras and that the rioters have been identified and many already detained.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/10/10/article-1319310-0B8F0BE5000005DC-968_634x402.jpg Gay activists waving rainbow flags gathered at a park in downtown Belgrade which was surrounded by riot police, including armoured vehicles
Today's march was 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.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/10/10/article-1319310-0B8EB4E7000005DC-862_634x498.jpg Serbian riot police attempt to detain a man during the anti gay pride march
He told the crowd waving rainbow flags: 'We are here to celebrate this very important day... to celebrate the values of tolerance, freedom of expression and assembly.'
The same right-wing group set the U.S. Embassy on fire during riots in 2008 to protest U.S. support for Kosovo's independence.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton plans to visit Belgrade in coming days as part of a Balkan tour
By Daily Mail Reporter (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=y&authornamef=Daily+Mail+Reporter)
Last updated at 5:48 PM on 10th October 2010
Comments (41) (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1319310/Riot-Serbia-far-right-thugs-protest-Belgrade-gay-pride-march.html#comments)
Add to My Stories (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1319310/Riot-Serbia-far-right-thugs-protest-Belgrade-gay-pride-march.html)
Serbian riot police today fought running battles with hundreds of far-right supporters who tried to disrupt a gay pride march in downtown Belgrade, resulting in several casualties.
Thousands of police officers sealed off the streets in the capital where the march took place, repeatedly clashing at many different locations with rioters who were trying to burst through security cordons.
Parked cars were smashed and set on fire, shop were looted, rubbish bins were overturned and street signs destroyed.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/10/10/article-1319310-0B8E7FF7000005DC-111_634x413.jpg Riot police try to push back far-right thugs during the anti-gay pride riots today in Belgrade, Serbia
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/10/10/article-1319310-0B8EB071000005DC-917_634x394.jpg The rioters are contained by police as the gay rights parade moves along a street in downtown Belgrade
The rioters fired shots and hurled petrol bombs at the headquarters of the ruling pro-Western Democratic Party, setting the garage of the building on fire.
The state TV building and other political parties headquarters were were also attacked, with many of the house windows shattered by stones.
The protesters, chanting 'death to homosexuals!' hurled Molotov cocktails, bricks, stones, glass bottles and firecrackers at riot police.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/10/10/article-1319310-0B8EDB19000005DC-889_634x417.jpg Riot police struggle to hold back the violent anti-gay protesters
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/10/10/article-1319310-0B8EEB48000005DC-287_634x426.jpg Riot police disperse the pack of right-wing protesters intent on stopping Belgrade's first gay rights rally in nearly a decade
Police responded by firing tear gas and deploying armoured vehicles to disperse the charging protesters in the heart of the capital even after the brief pride march ended.
The protesters hijacked a bus, ordered its driver and all of its passengers out, and pushed it down a steep street before it hit an electric pole on a main Belgrade square.
Belgrade emergency hospital said 57 people were injured, including 47 policemen, one seriously.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/10/10/article-1319310-0B8E9AE5000005DC-392_634x533.jpg Police officers assist an injured officer after an anti-gay pride march turned into a riot, resulting is several injuries and arrests
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/10/10/article-1319310-0B8F0818000005DC-503_634x399.jpg Most of the rioters were young football fans whose groups have been infiltrated by neo-Nazi and other extremist organisationsl
Police said several rioters were arrested and now face the prospect of up to eight years in jail.
Right-wing groups say the gay events are contrary to Serbian family and religious values.
Most of the rioters were young football fans whose groups have been infiltrated by neo-Nazi and other extremist organisations.
Democratic Party spokeswoman Jelana Trivan blasted: 'These riots obviously have nothing to do with the gay parade or any moral values.'
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/10/10/article-1319310-0B8EF36B000005DC-573_634x440.jpg A man cycles past a burning police car during clashes between anti-gay protestors and Serbian riot police
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/10/10/article-1319310-0B8EAB26000005DC-771_634x422.jpg An injured Serb riot police officer is cared for by colleagues. Belgrade emergency hospital said 57 people were injured, including 47 policemen, one seriously
Defence Minister Dragan Sutanovac, vice president of the Democratic Party, said a part of the party's archive, warehouse and phone lines at the building were destroyed and shots were also fired at the building.
He said: 'It is high time that we deal in a very democratic way, through the courts, with those who call themselves members of the patriotic organisations. Is this Belgrade or the wild West?'
Senior Justice Ministry official Slobodan Homen said that the state response will be 'fierce'. He said that the city centre is covered with surveillance cameras and that the rioters have been identified and many already detained.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/10/10/article-1319310-0B8F0BE5000005DC-968_634x402.jpg Gay activists waving rainbow flags gathered at a park in downtown Belgrade which was surrounded by riot police, including armoured vehicles
Today's march was 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.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/10/10/article-1319310-0B8EB4E7000005DC-862_634x498.jpg Serbian riot police attempt to detain a man during the anti gay pride march
He told the crowd waving rainbow flags: 'We are here to celebrate this very important day... to celebrate the values of tolerance, freedom of expression and assembly.'
The same right-wing group set the U.S. Embassy on fire during riots in 2008 to protest U.S. support for Kosovo's independence.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton plans to visit Belgrade in coming days as part of a Balkan tour