Serbia: Pride caravan in Pirot cancelled, journalists attacked
In the southern Serbian town of Pirot, a Pride caravan was called off after opponents gathered on the central square and the safety of participants was at risk. Journalists, including an N1 reporter, were attacked. Activists and the opposition accuse the police of failing.
According to the independent broadcaster N1, police in Pirot cancelled the Pride caravan planned for the day because men who were protesting against the event had gathered on the local square and the safety of participants could no longer be guaranteed. The organisation „Da se zna!“ sharply condemned the decision and accused the police of letting hooligans endanger the lives of journalists. The Serbian journalists' association UNS condemned the attack on N1 reporter Gordana Bjeletic and the obstruction of other reporters. The opposition movement PSG spoke of an open retreat by the institutions in the face of violence. The coverage here comes largely from independent Serbian sources, with no state-aligned counter-account available, which makes the one-sided evidence base plain. The incident fits into the history of Pride events in Serbia, marked by resistance and violence, and at the same time touches on the question of press freedom in an EU accession candidate.