Pride parade in Podgorica; Ulićević: Montenegro will be as free as Palestine, and that can only be achieved through resistance
"Freedom is won and built with determination and courage. Resistance means not retreating under the force of hatred, but fighting for the rights that are ours by birth."
At the 13th Pride Parade - Montenegro Pride, which was held today in Podgorica under the slogan "Resistance Builds Freedom", speakers said that Pride in Montenegro is not just a celebration, but also a protest, and that the fight for freedom and equality requires perseverance and togetherness.
The event program began at 14 p.m. in front of the Parliament of Montenegro, after which the procession set off through the streets of Podgorica. Everything went off without incident.
Video: Jelena Kočanović
Spektra Association activist Jovan Ulićević told those gathered in front of the Assembly that he believes the time has come for action and to take to the streets.
"We are happy with every protest for Montenegro. Pride is not the only protest in the country today. I sincerely believe that the time for long speeches is coming to an end and that the time for taking to the streets and taking action is coming," Ulićević emphasized.
He said that citizens deserve much more than what they have received so far.
Video: Jelena Kočanović
"Montenegro will be as free as Palestine, and that can only be achieved through resistance," said Ulićević.
Ali Erdogan, a peer support associate for LGBTIQ migrants at the organization Queer Montenegro, said that in many countries the queer community does not have the opportunity to gather.
"Pride is not just about beauty, but about courage, where we say that we are here to exist and that we will not exist in silence. Our comrades in Istanbul cannot protest, your fight is our fight," Erdogan stressed.
Video: Jelena Kočanović
He added that every person deserves to love without fear, and the crowd chanted "From the river to the sea - Palestine will be free."
Executive Director of Queer Montenegro, Staša Baštrica, said that freedom must be fought for and built.
"Freedom is won and built with determination and courage. Resistance means that we do not retreat under the force of hatred, but rather that we fight for the rights that are ours by birth," said Baštrica.
She emphasized that the community is still waiting for the adoption of the Law on Legal Recognition of Gender Identity Based on Self-Determination and the full implementation of the LGBT Strategy.
Video: Jelena Kočanović
"The state directly interferes and controls the bodies of trans people. We demand a law, we demand full implementation of the strategy, because resistance is our strength and our unity," she said.
Baštrica added that the fight for human rights is not a local issue, but a universal value, warning that the strengthening of the right wing around the world threatens LGBT rights.
"Long live freedom, long live solidarity, and long live love," she said.
The organization Queer Montenegro previously announced that they had sent official invitations to Prime Minister Milojko Spajić and President Jakov Milatović to attend the parade, emphasizing that their presence would represent an important gesture of support for the LGBTIQ community and confirmation of the state's commitment to respecting human rights and freedoms.
The Pride was attended, among others, by the Minister of Human and Minority Rights Fatmir Đeka, the Head of the EU Delegation to Montenegro Johan Sattler, the Ombudsman for Human Rights and Freedoms Siniša Bjeković, the Vice President of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), and the Member of Parliament Ivan Vuković.
( Jelena Kočanović )