Despite 16,000 Strong Protest, Gay Parade Was Held In Belgrade Last Sunday

Belgrade, October 1, 2014

The army and 7000 special police personnel were blocking central Belgrade last weekend. AFP

"In Serbia a gay pride parade was held last Sunday, the first in the last four years. Among those marching were the Belgrade mayor of the city, as well as several members of the cabinet. In 2010, the gay pride parade ended in the Serbian capital with a fight and since then has not been performed. The European Union, which Serbia is going to join, said that a march of this kind is the test of the readiness of the country to respect the rights of sexual minorities," writes Euronews.

"What does this unbridled debauchery tend to promote? Destruction or perversion of the Christian faith and, above all, Orthodoxy. It is not possible to join both Sodom and Jerusalem. In ancient times Sodom fell, and now its revenge is being prepared—the assault of Jerusalem,” writes Archimandrite Raphael Karelin. “The parades of the Sodomites, similar to victory marches, can be seen from the mystical side as a ritual desecration of streets and cities. "

Police officers on high alert. Pro-family manifestation on September 27. Photo: MARKO DROBNJAKOVIC/AP

On the eve of the gay parade in Belgrade, over 6000 people gathered in the city center at a rally organized by the pro-family movement "DVERI" (World Congress of Families partner). They demanded that the Serbian government cancel the gay pride parade.

At this protest rally spoke Vladan Glishic, member of the Board of DVERI, Srђan Nogo, representative of the World Congress of Families in Serbia, Ambassador of the World Congress of Families to the UN Alexey Komov (Russia) and Bosko Obradovic, a member of the Board of DVERI.

The next day it became known that the "parade” would nevertheless be held.

"7000 police officers plus the army and armored vehicles with a helicopter were deployed to protect 200 gays from the Orthodox Serbian people," said Alexey Komov, representative of the Foundation of St. Basil the Great, the executive secretary of the Patriarchal Commission on the Family of the Russian Orthodox Church. He came to Belgrade to support the people of Serbia defend natural family values.

The police have used excessive force—for example, the brother of Serbian Prime Minister Vucic was beaten in Belgrade (apparently by mistake), sources said.

After the gay pride parade, over 10,000 people passed through the center of Belgrade with icons and crosses, from the Cathedral of St. Sava to the Patriarchate, in order “to clean up the city from the contamination of this shameful orgy," according to the movement "DVERI."