Belgrade: Serbia's police say they have detained six people and prevented a gathering of a pro-Russian far-right group that threatened to burn an EU flag and spit on the portrait of the US ambassador in Belgrade.
Riot police were deployed in large number across the capital on Sunday to enforce a ban on a gay pride event and anti-gay protests, fearing they would turn violent.
Senior police official Srdjan Grekulovic says the six extremists were detained in central Belgrade with masks and baseball bats on them. He says police also prevented a protest on nearby Mount Avala by the Nasi group — an affiliate of a Russian organisation of the same name.
Meanwhile, an EU official and other supporters attended an in-room gathering of gay activists.
Bureau Report
First Published: Monday, October 03, 2011, 09:25