The Office of the High Representative, an international institution to ensure aspects of the 1995 peace accord, called on authorities "to take every appropriate measure to enable this peaceful assembly to take place without interruption and without participants fearing violence." When organizers announced plans for the march in April, they were met with scorn from some conservative groups and concern about security - including one call for barriers to go up in the capital. Local media reported that 1,200 police officers were on hand for security. "The parade is important so that one day my partner and I can get the marriage that we did in Croatia recognized" in Bosnia, said Sasa Gavric, a former director of the Sarajevo Open Center, a human rights organization. Sarajevo has tried to hold LGBT events in the past, including a film festival in 2014, but those were disrupted by gay-rights opponents. The march was a first for the capital of Bosnia-Herzegovina, which is deeply conservative and the only successor state to the former Yugoslavia to have never hosted a "pride" parade. "We are aware that this walk is not going to change the world, but we also know that this Pride is giving a hope that the change is possible." "We want to build a nonviolent society, a society of togetherness, where no one would have to hide their love and live inside four walls," said Lejla Huremovic, who helped organize the parade. Others carried rainbow flags and signs that read "United In Differences" and chanted "Death to fascism, freedom to the people!" Many marchers wore rainbow T-shirts, and beat drums and blew whistles. The march down Sarajevo's main street was held under the slogan "Ima izac!" which roughly means "Wanna come out!" No incidents were reported despite threats of violence and counterdemonstrations ahead of the September 8 event, in which nearly 2,000 people took part according to estimates by police, which provided significant security for the event. “All those who want to promote in public what they describe as their sexual orientation, especially when it is opposed by three million people, we view them as provocateurs,” the Associated Press quoted him as telling the protest march.SARAJEVO - Hundreds of gay and lesbian activists and supporters marched through Sarajevo as the Bosnian capital hosted its first LGBT "pride" parade. One participant, Mujo Aganovic, denounced Mr Nelson, the US envoy: “I want to send him the message that this is my country while he is just a guest here.” Opponents held two marches over the weekend, the largest of which attracted several hundred people, at which they called for stronger “traditional family values” and criticised foreign support for the parade. Small festivals in Sarajevo in support of LGBT rights were attacked in 20, and there were calls for Sunday’s gay pride to be cancelled on security and moral grounds. US ambassador to Bosnia Eric Nelson, who is gay, tweeted a photo of himself at the parade with a message saying he was "incredibly proud" to have taken part.īefore the parade, he issued a video message saying that the US embassy supported an event that he called a chance for Bosnia “to accept its diversity and show tolerance and respect for every individual”.
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