The Gay Pride Parade that was to have been held on Sunday in the Serbian capital Belgrade has been cancelled. The interior ministry says it would not have been able to guarantee the safety of the participants.

Recently several right-wing and nationalist groups threatened to disrupt the event. The Serbian Orthodox Church had denounced the planned parade as a "procession of Sodom and Gomorrah". On Friday, several political leaders, including President Boris Tadic, announced that they would not allow protestors to disrupt the event.

The organisers of the event say the Serbian government has bowed to the threat of violence. Sunday's gay parade would have been the first since 2001, when protestors attacked participants and injured dozens of people.