Montenegro: Second Pride event will be held in secret from violent anti-gay protesters

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Montenegro’s second ever Pride is set to be held in secret this year after the last event ended with 60 injured in violent anti-gay attacks.

Last July, rocks and bottles were thrown by dozens of anti-gay protesters at Montenegro’s first ever pride event.

Extremists chanted “Kill the gays” as 60 were left injured following the attacks.

This year, both the date and location of Montenegro Pride are to be kept private until the day itself.

Queer Montenegro, the group behind Montenegro Pride 2014, said the march is expected to take place this month.

In a statement, the organisers said: “The clear message of this year’s Pride implies that the perpetrators of such acts must be appropriately sanctioned and that the responsible institutions need to do their job more conscientiously.”

Originally planned for late June, the country’s second Pride was postponed after police consultations.

Pride marches are seen as a key test of Montenegro’s commitment to human rights as it seeks to join the European Union.

In a survey last year, 71% of Montenegrins said they believed homosexuality was an illness and 80% said it should be kept private.