Serbian riot gather as the gay parade goes moves along a street in Belgrade, Serbia, Sunday, Oct. 10, 2010. Riot police in Serbia clashed with some hundreds of far-right protesters who tried to disrupt the gay pride march in Belgrade on Sunday, with more than a dozen people reported injured, officials said.(AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
A man walks by a graffiti that reads “No to the gay parade” in Serbian Cyrillic letters in Belgrade, Serbia, Friday, Oct. 8, 2010. This weekend’s staging a gay pride march will be a major test for Serbia’s democracy after extremists forced the cancellation of last year’s event, international human rights organizations said. (AP Photo/Andrej Cukic)
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People wave peace flags at the gay parade in Belgrade, Serbia, Sunday, Oct. 10, 2010. Riot police in Serbia clashed with some hundreds of far-right protesters who tried to disrupt the gay pride march in Belgrade on Sunday, with more than a dozen people reported injured, officials said.(AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
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Cleaners swipe a street as members of the Serbian riot police stand on guard, prior to the gay parade in Belgrade, Serbia, Sunday, Oct. 10, 2010. Riot police in Serbia clashed with hundreds of far-right supporters who tried to disrupt a gay pride march in downtown Belgrade on Sunday. More than a dozen people were injured, officials said. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
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A member of the Serbian riot police is assisted by passer by, during the anti gay riots in Belgrade, Serbia, Sunday, Oct. 10, 2010. Riot police in Serbia clashed with hundreds of far-right supporters who tried to disrupt a gay pride march in downtown Belgrade on Sunday. More than a dozen people were injured, officials said. (AP Photo)
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BELGRADE, Serbia —
State prosecutors opened a criminal investigation on Tuesday against the leader of a far-right group for orchestrating anti-gay protests that turned violent in downtown Belgrade.
More than 150 people were injured on Sunday in running battles with police as thousands of far-right demonstrators tried to disrupt a gay pride march by hurling Molotov cocktails and stun grenades.
Mladen Obradovic of the Obraz, or Honor, group is suspected of “violent conduct” during the clashes.
The state prosecutors’ office said another 130 people are under investigation for trying to disrupt the pride march and 66 of them were on Tuesday ordered to 30 days in prison each as a pretrial detention measure.
If charged and convicted, Obradovic and the others could face up to 12 years in jail.
