President Aleksandar Vucic of Serbia announced on Saturday that he would not permit EuroPride, an annual weeklong gay pride event, to take place next month in his country’s capital, Belgrade, shocking the event’s organizers, who denounced the decision and vowed to go ahead regardless.
Mr. Vucic, despite noting that he was “not happy” about the decision, said that it was not the right time to host the event.
He cited several reasons, including tensions with Kosovo, economic problems and concerns that anti-gay protesters could disrupt the festivities.
Organizers and civil rights groups said that any cancellation would violate their rights of freedom of assembly and free expression, which are laid out in the Serbian Constitution and protected by European human rights law. “This is a violation of minority rights,” Mr.