Graphic from the EuroPride 2022 website announcing that the event in Belgrade, Serbia has not been canceled. This story is based on original coverage by Meta.mk, as part of the regional initiative Western Balkans Anti-Disinformation Hub. An edited version is republished here under a content-sharing agreement between Global Voices and the Metamorphosis Foundation. EuroPride is a pan-European international LGBTQ+ event hosted by a different a European city every year. In 2022 it is scheduled to take plac place in Belgrade from September 12–18 and includes a film festival, conferences, and a Pride Walk. Serbian far-right political parties and the Serbian Orthodox Church have condemned the event, calling for it to be banned. The Serbian public sphere has been flooded with homophobic hate speech and disinformation, while opponents of the EuroPride have staged massive protests against the manifestation. On August 27, the president of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, announced that the event would be “canceled” in order to reduce political tensions and to protect participants from possible physical violence. After the official statement that the EuroPride 2022 street walk would be cancelled, the organizers responded that the state cannot “cancel” the event because its not its organizer. Goran Miletić, the coordinator of EuroPride 2022, explained in a statement published their website: The state, namely the police, can only ban EuroPride, not cancel it. That kind of decision would be against the Constitution and the Constitutional Court had already revoked similar decisions in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. Events held in closed venues that are planned for EuroPride 2022 cannot be forbidden. We are waiting for the official decision to which we will issue an appeal. EuroPride and the tensions with Kosovo were the main issues discussed at the session of the National Security Council convened by President Vučić on September 10. Right after, Miletić stated for N1 TV that state institutions have no legal grounds to ban the Pride Walk and that it will take place regardless; moreover the state has responsibility to protect the participants from any violence. Rok za to ističe u utorak u 16 časova, što je 96 sati pred šetnju koja je zakazana za 17. septembar. Naš pravni tim je spreman i uložićemo žalbe MUP-u i Upravnom sudu, ukoliko MUP bude zabranio skup… Deadline for to issue formal ban ends on Tuesday at 4 p.m., 96 hours before the start of the walk scheduled for September 17. Our legal team is ready to submit complaints to the Ministry of Interior (MUP) and the Administrative Court in case MUP bans the gathering… A massive protest event that combined a religious procession and protest walk called “Litany for the salvation of Serbia” was held in Belgrade on Sunday, August 28. The anti-EuroPride event started with Serbian Orthodox Church officials leading the protesters in prayer. Then they all marched through the city carrying church icons and photographs of Russian President Vladimir Putin, led by the motorcade of the Night Wolves motorcycle club, N1 TV reported. Skup „Litija za spas Srbije“, kolonu predvode „Noćni vukovi“ pic.twitter.com/Ta8KTfbNao — Prst (@PrstTabloid) August 28, 2022 Bishop Nikanor of Banat from the Serbian Orthodox church addressed the people who took part in the litany, citing Putin’s views of the LGBTQ+ community. He called Putin “today’s Tsar of Planet Earth” who has made a firm stance against the “anomalies” that have arisen in Serbia. After reciting prayers, the participants walked across the streets of Belgrade and headed toward Saint Sava Orthodox Cathedral. Serbian Night Wolves are part of a network of motorcycle “clubs” founded in Russia with direct support of from Putin's government, spreading messages promoting Russian imperialist interests and propaganda that presents authoritarian regimes as protectors of traditional values allegedly endangered by Western liberal corruption. In the Western Balkans they have been involved in activities undermining democracy in Serbia, Bosnia and North Macedonia. Since July 2022, the Russian organization that has modeled Night Wolves is subject to EU sanctions. Ana Brnabić, the prime minister of Serbia, is one of the few openly LGBTQ+ persons in the country. She noted that the state doesn’t want to violate anyone’s rights guaranteed by the constitution, yet pointed out at the possible consequences for Serbia of hosting staging the 2022 EuroPride, as the Serbian TV station N1 informs. She said: To je više molba nego što im kažemo: ‘nemojte da šetate’. To je u skladu sa Ustavom, ali je drugo pitanje kakve posledice ima po našu državu. Radi se o tome šta je u ovom trenutku moguće i kako čuvamo našu stabilnost.