Rise in Online Hate Around Pride Marches and Euro 2024

Online Hate During Pride Marches and Euro 2024

Istanbul Pride March Faces Hostility

The 22nd Istanbul Pride March began on Bagdat Street in the Kadikoy district, circumventing police blockades around Istiklal Street and Taksim Square. Organizers changed the starting point to avoid police intervention.

“We are never tired of deceiving the police and forcing them to deal with us!” posted Turkish journalist Tugce Yilmaz on X (formerly Twitter). Despite the event’s ban, a crowd gathered, triggering hateful online comments.

Yilmaz’s post, viewed over 200,000 times, attracted dozens of hostile comments, challenging the right of LGBTQ+ people to protest and calling for violence against them.

Widespread Hate During Pride Month

Pride marches across Southeast and Central Europe have regularly been targeted with online threats. BIRN’s digital rights violations report shows an increase in hate speech in 2022 and 2023.

In Croatia, homophobic graffiti appeared in Pula before the pride march, sparking hateful comments on social media. In Zagreb, a video of a same-sex civil partnership ceremony also drew homophobic remarks.

In Albania, a symbolic “wedding” of a lesbian couple in Tirana’s main square provoked similar reactions. In North Macedonia, President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova’s support for the LGBTQ+ community was criticized, with some accusing her of being influenced by foreign donors.

Discover : The history of Pride Month

Online Hate and Celebrities

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Sarajevo Pride March generated abusive comments, particularly against singer Bozo Vreco. Politicians like Haris Zahiragic of the SDA party also expressed anti-LGBTQ+ views, receiving significant online support.

In Kosovo, posts about pride events prompted calls for the prosecution of LGBTQ+ individuals, and even threats of nuclear weapons.

Euro 2024: Tensions and Hate Speech

The Euro 2024 football tournament heightened national tensions. After a match between Croatia and Albania, satirical photomontages and videos flooded social media, accompanied by hate speech.

UEFA sanctioned the Croatian Football Federation for fan behavior and investigated anti-Serbian chants by Croatian and Albanian supporters. In Serbia, nationalistic posts attracted hundreds of views and sparked heated debates.

In Montenegro, politician Vladislav Dajkovic insulted Albanian minister Nik Djeljosaj after the match, though there was no proof Djeljosaj participated in anti-Serbian chants.

This article was contributed by journalists from Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Croatia, Kosovo, Turkey, Serbia, Montenegro, Romania, Albania, and Hungary.

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