Plans to organise a parade last year were called off after the government said it could not guarantee the safety of participants.
Right-wing extremists hurled petrol bombs at Serb police, torched the ruling party’s offices and stoned the headquarters of state television yesterday in battles on the sidelines of a Gay Pride march.
Scores of people were injured in the violence as protesters, dressed mainly in black and with hooded tops, hurled rocks and molotov cocktails at security forces trying to ensure Belgrade’s second ever Gay Pride event could go ahead.
At one point, rioters managed to set fire to the headquarters of President Boris Tadic’s Democratic Party (DS) to protest his support for the march. The flames were quickly put out and no one was hurt.Police retaliated by firing tear gas and deploying several armoured vehicles in a bid to keep the protesters away from the parade.
The central Terazije Square was littered with rocks and debris from the protest, with most of the violence erupting after the march had ended.
Serbian Health Minister Tomica Milosavljevic said more than 120 people, mostly policemen, were injured during the riots.
The police said 101 people were detained, while 53 of them would be investigated for “criminal act of violence”.
The riots were the first such violence in the capital since July 2008 when former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic was arrested in Belgrade.
Tadic warned that “hooligans and organisers of the violence will be arrested and brought to justice”.
Belgrade Mayor Dragan Djias put the cost of the damage and clear-up at around 1mn euros ($1.39mn).
About 1,000 joined the Gay Pride march, according to an AFP estimate.
Serbia’s first ever Gay Pride parade in 2001 was broken up by violent clashes provoked by right-wing extremists.
Plans to organise a parade last year were called off after the government said it could not guarantee the safety of participants.
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