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I wonder if the European Union is seriously considering the admission of Serbia...and why?
The Serbians seem to show a great contempt for human rights, ask anyone in Kosovo or Bosnia what they think. If anti-gay hatred is institutionalized by the Christian churches, neo-nazi groups and the general social structure there then I would hope the EU would consider them the local rednecks and ban them from membership.
Some pressure needs to be brought and barring Serbia from any economic benefit seems to be the best choice at this point.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39600384/ns/world_news-europe
Age appears to be best in four things; old wood best to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors to read. (Sir Francis Bacon 1561-1626)
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timmy
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Has no life at all |
Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13751
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The EC is a strange entity. It considers nations for membership because they apply to it. It does insist on broad standards of a greta many things on the way to membership.
I have asked my MEPs about this.
[Updated on: Sun, 10 October 2010 11:57]
Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School
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Sunday, October 10, 2010
Brody's Notes... Serbian Police Battle Anti-Gay Rioters At Belgrade Pride
By Brody Levesque (Washington DC) OCT 10 | Associated Press correspondent Dusan Stojanovic and AP photographer Marko Drobnjakovic, reported from the Serbian capital city of Belgrade earlier today, that Serbian police fought with hundreds of rioters attempting to break through security barricades and disrupt the Belgrade Gay Pride March in the city's downtown centre.
Authorities had deployed thousands of police officers in an effort to seal off the area where the march was held, fighting with rioters who tried to break through. According to the AP's Stojanovic:
Several parked cars were set on fire or damaged, shop windows were broken, garbage containers were overturned and streets signs destroyed.
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.
Rioters, chanting "death to homosexuals!" hurled Molotov cocktails, bricks, stones, glass bottles and firecrackers at riot police. Police responded by firing tear gas and deploying armored 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 all of its passengers and the driver out, and pushed it down a steep street before hit an electric pole on a main Belgrade square.
A spokesman for Belgrade's emergency hospital said at least 157 persons had been treated for injuries, some serious, 87 of whom were Serb police officers. A Serbian police spokesman said that numerous arrests had been made and more were to be expected.
Defense 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. In an interview with reporters 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 organizations," Sutanovac said.
"Is this Belgrade or the wild West? It is clear now that this [violence] has nothing to do with the Pride parade, but represents hatred unseen for quite some time."
The AP's Stojanovic also reported that:
Serbian Senior Justice Ministry official Slobodan Homen said that the state response will be "fierce." He said that the city center is covered with surveillance cameras and that the rioters have been identified and many already detained. He said they could face up to eight years in prison.
Sunday'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. Those groups say the gay events are contrary to Serbian family and religious values. Most of the rioters Sunday were young football fans whose groups have been infiltrated by neo-Nazi and other extremist organizations.
In a speech to the assembled Gay Pride March participants gathered in a downtown park surrounded by riot police and armoured vehicles, the crowd estimated by officials at around 1,000 Gay activists and their allies, European Union Mission head Vincent Degart said;
"We are here to celebrate this very important day ... to celebrate the values of tolerance, freedom of expression and assembly."
The crowd, many waving rainbow flags, cheered enthusiastically.
Serb Riot Police Battle Anti-Gay Rioters
Photo By Marko Drobnjakovic The Associated Press
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timmy
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Has no life at all |
Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13751
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There are many news stories suggesting that Serbia is not an adult nation and should not, now, be admitted to the EU, all based on this incident.
Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School
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Brody's Notes... Anti-Gay Riots Send Wrong Message To EU
By Brody Levesque (Washington DC) OCT 12 | According to the Associated Press, the Slovenian official in charge of the European Parliament's evaluation reports on Serbia, in a statement Monday, said that the anti-gay riots in the Serbian capital on Sunday "show an elementary lack" of tolerance for minority rights in and the "inefficiency" of the Serbian state in preventing such a trend.
Senior Balkan Associated Press correspondent Dusan Stojanovic, reported the EU official's remarks on Monday that Serbia's failure to prevent the anti-gay rioting could hurt its bid to join the European Union.
"A very bad message was sent from Belgrade" that could hurt its bid to join the EU, Kacin said.
Conversely, a spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade praised Serbian police for doing all they could to protect the Gay pride march from far-right activists, adding:
"We commend the professionalism and restraint exercised by the police and Belgrade authorities in ensuring the participants in the Pride Parade were fully protected throughout the event.
"We strongly condemn all the many acts of violence committed throughout the city, and call on the perpetrators to be brought to justice," the Embassy official concluded.
The AP's Stojanovic also reported that:
The same far-right groups set the American Embassy in Belgrade on fire during riots in 2008 to protest U.S. support for Kosovo's independence. On Sunday, Serbian police fought running battles with thousands of far-right supporters who tried to disrupt the march in downtown Belgrade by hurling Molotov cocktails and stun grenades. More than 150 people were hurt and nearly 250 were arrested, police said.The gay pride march, attended by some 1,000 participants, was viewed as a major test for Serbia's government, which has pledged to protect human rights as it seeks EU membership. Most of the rioters were young football hooligans whose groups have been infiltrated by neo-Nazis and other extremist groups.
Police said the rioters were "extremely well organized and synchronized" and that the violent protest "did not happen spontaneously." Police official Milorad Veljovic said authorities have found a list of suspected organizers during the arrest of one of the far-right leaders. Veljovic said 249 protesters have been arrested, including 54 minors. He said 131 remain in
detention. More than half of the detained are from outside Belgrade.
"Today and in the coming days police and the prosecutors will continue with the detentions of all who are suspected of taking part in the riots," he said. "We will not stop."
Veljovic said 132 policemen were injured, including five seriously, while 25 civilians were hurt, one seriously.
Opposition Liberal Party leader Cedomir Jovanovic demanded tough action against the far-right groups that "were trying to topple the democratic authorities."
"The police know well who organized yesterday's riots," Jovanovic said, accusing two opposition nationalist parties and security officials who were sacked after then-President Slobodan Milosevic was ousted in a popular revolt in 2000 of being behind the violence.
The anti-gay rioters also fired shots and threw Molotov cocktails at the headquarters of the ruling pro-Western Democratic Party, setting the building's garage on fire. In addition, the state TV building and the headquarters of other political parties were attacked, with many windows shattered by stones.
The AP also notes that On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is due to visit the Serbian capital as part of a tour of the Balkans. Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said Monday that police are bracing for "a mayor security challenge" during Clinton's one-day visit.
"As of tonight, we are starting the preparations for Hillary Clinton's visit," Dacic said, adding that thousands of policemen will be deployed and most of Belgrade's downtown will be sealed off for traffic and pedestrian movement by security forces.
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