Dozens of homophobes attempted to push
through cordons of hundreds of police in Podgorica, Montenegro to
attack the city's first Gay Pride parade on Sunday.
Police used tear gas to disperse the
rock-throwing opponents.
According
to Aljazeera, nearly 2,000 police officers were needed to guard
about 150 Montenegrins as they rallied in the nation's capital for
roughly 30 minutes. A separate outlet reported that a dozen people
carrying Molotov cocktails were arrested before the march began.
Despite the violence, organizers called
the march a success.
“We were up against enormous
challenges but we did it,” said Danijel Kalezic, who heads the
group Queer Montenegro. “From this day we are no longer invisible.
This is the first Pride and every year there will be more and more
of us.”
Officials in the Balkan country openly
supported the rally, which comes as Montenegro seeks membership in
the European Union. However, anti-gay sentiment remains high in
Montenegro. According to one survey, 71 percent of Montenegrins
believe being gay is an illness.