Hundreds of Pride activists gathered in the Serbian capital of Belgrade Saturday amid a heavy police presence and anti-gay messages sent by the country's conservative leadership and far-right groups. Last year, the LGBTQ+ event was marred by skirmishes between the police and anti-Pride groups who believe the event goes against traditional Serbian Christian Orthodox values and should be banned. The participants of the march on Saturday held banners reading "We Are Not Even Close" – referring to the current status of the gay population in Serbia. A heavy police presence of officers in riot gear blocked off central Belgrade. In a rally against the march, about 50 anti-gay protesters and Orthodox priests held religious icons in front of a downtown church as the Pride event participants passed by. #Queer Up The World View