Speaking at a news conference this Saturday, Serbian president said EuroPride parade - a pan-European LGBT event hosted by a different city ever year, this time scheduled to take place in Belgrade in the middle of September - would be "postponed or cancelled" because of "recent tensions with former province Kosovo", as well as energy and food issues.  “At this moment the state is pressured by numerous problems," Vucic said. "… you just can’t do it all at the same moment, and that's it. I am not happy about it but we can’t manage.”

In fact, President Vucic made this statement after thousands of people marched to protest against the event August 14. Protesters carried crosses and icons of Christ, the Theotokos, and saints, chanting prayers and shouting slogans: “We don’t want gay parades and Western occupation!” “We won’t give up our holy sites!”. They also carried banners reading: “Hands off our children!”

In a video circulated several days before the street protests Bishop Nikanor of Banat said that if Euro Pride “comes to Belgrade and flaunts and desecrates the city of Belgrade, the holy Serbian city.” “I will anathematize all those who organize and participate in something like that. I can do that much. If I had a weapon, I would use it, I would use that force if only I had it, but I don’t”, he exclaimed, obviously referring to Serbia’s openly gay Prime Minister Ana Brnabić.