A day before the 3rd Sofia Pride gay parade, the organizers said they hope for a peaceful procession but are also prepared for potential incidents.

“We will not allow the participants to run, so that the parade will be over fast. We want a peaceful procession with no fear,” Jana Brurer-Tavanier, one of the organizers, said Friday.

She stated that she fears incidents, like the one from June 6, where six neo-Nazi beat four youngsters in Sofia public transport tram, might happen again at the parade on Saturday.

“There were no incidents at the last year's procession. But I understood from a private conversation that this was only because of the elections,” Tavanier said.

Kristina Nikolova, who is also among the organizers, said that they have received threats from many organizations which do not identify themselves. One of the organizations that have attacked with Molotov cocktails the participants in the parade in 2008 was the Bulgarian National Union “Guard”.

“There is no point in trying to talk to these organizations. The media debates made clear that they are not open for talks. It doesn't matter if these are neo-Nazi organizations or the Bulgarian Orthodox church. These are people with extreme conceptions that cannot be changed,” Nikolova said.

The organizers of the 3rd Sofia Pride gay parade claim their goal is to have a peaceful procession that will not be reduced to the cliche, imposed by the media and society.

“This is a parade of normal people who are simply not attracted to people from their own sex,” Nikolova said, adding that in the last few years there is an increase of homophobic acts in Bulgaria..

For the first time, the parade has been supporter by a political party - Democrats for Strong Bulgaria (DSB). The organizers said this is very important for them because, in their words, the politicians are the people who form the social opinions in the country.

Many embassies have also announced their support for Sofia Pride. In a conference, the Deputy Ambassador of the Netherlands in Bulgaria, Martijn Elgersma, has stated that in his country 80% of the people have a positive or neutral opinion to the people with a different sexual orientation.

The Chair of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, Krassimir Kanev, has also stated that he perceives the parade as a peaceful expression of freedom.

US Ambassador to Bulgaria, James Warlick, has also issued a statement in support of the parade.

Embracing diversity, promoting tolerance and fighting prejudice and discrimination lie at the very core of respect for fundamental human rights. I extend my appreciation to the organizers of the third Sofia Pride Parade, who work on behalf of human rights for all, and convey my best wishes for a successful and peaceful commemoration,“ concludes the US Ambassador in Sofia.

Sofia Pride will begin Saturday at 4:30 pm (GMT+2) at the Love Bridge in Sofia and will continue for a few hours. This year, the organizers expect twice more participants than last year.

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