Stoned premises of the LGBT Forum Progres

The premises of the LGBT Forum Progres in Podgorica were stoned in the night between Friday and Saturday.

At the time of the attack, the premises of Progres were empty, so no one was injured in the stoning.

The oysters mostly ended up in the glass next to the front door and material damage was caused.

Director of Progres, Stevan Milivojević, after the latest, 25th attack, accused the police of knowingly and deliberately leaving them to hooligans.

He emphasized that yesterday he informed the leaders of the Government and the Police Administration that due to such a situation, they are canceling the validity of the Memorandum on Cooperation, which was signed in mid-2011, until further notice.

He added that that Memorandum "triggered numerous changes and was an internationally recognized example of good practice".

"The police show quite a lack of interest and unwillingness to deal with these security issues. We think that the background is broader and that someone in the country is not satisfied with the development of the Montenegrin LGBT community.

The police completely failed last night. The police officer who was on duty last night bears a significant part of the responsibility. In a country governed by the rule of law, he would no longer be a policeman," said Milivojević.

The director of Progres assessed that the stoning of the premises was not only an attack on their organizations, but also on the inclusive and dynamic concept of the development of LGBT rights in Montenegro that they advocate.

"We do not agree to ensure the safety of the LGBT community once a year, at parades, but every day and every moment," said Milivojević.

"Vijesta" was unofficially told by the Police Administration that they are looking for an as yet unknown attacker, or several of them, who pelted the Progreso premises with stones.

"We are working on elucidating the case and discovering the assailant. After the stoning, an investigation was made, during which fingerprints and traces were taken from the scene," said the police.

The ministry strongly condemned the attack

The Ministry of Human and Minority Rights strongly condemned the attack and its perpetrators, and appealed to the authorities to stop such attacks.

"Such examples of violence and disrespect for basic human rights seriously threaten the image of our society. No one should feel threatened or fear for their safety because they are different in terms of their gender identity and sexual orientation. It is our duty and obligation that all our citizens feel equally safe in their country and accordingly enjoy their rights and freedoms," the announcement states.

The Ministry announced that Minister Suad Numanović has repeatedly appealed to the competent institutions that it is extremely necessary to undertake all activities aimed at preventing such cases, while the Ministry will intensify activities on education and raising the level of awareness of all social structures and citizens, "in order to the percentage of violence decreased significantly".

"After the Pride Parade in November, we believe that our society is open to respect for diversity and respect for the rights and freedoms of others, which speaks of a high level of tolerance and a significant step forward when it comes to the fight against discrimination and respect for the rights of the LGBT community as one of the most vulnerable in society. group in Montenegro," the announcement reads.

"Let's not allow such outbursts, which also have a continuity, to destroy the efforts that we all make together so that all our citizens feel equal in society, regardless of their differences on any basis".