Violence in Belgrade and suspicious death
During the night, protests were held in Belgrade in several places that resulted in violence. Demonstrators demolished the premises of the Serbian progressive Party (CIS) in Palilule and Zemun. They even used pyrotechnics on Cvijićevova Street. Firefighters also had to respond to the burning of containers in the city center.
There was a tragedy in the Novi Sad, where the Provincial Member of the Free (PSG) Radivoje Jovovič was killed in front of the court building. The Ministry of Justice condemned this act as a “direct attack on the constitutional order”.
The reactions of the highest representatives
President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučič came to the damaged premises of the CIS after dismantling, where he again mentioned the “response of the state”. “They want to destroy our normal life at all costs,” Vučič said. He added that it is necessary to “make order in our country and free it from the perpetrators of terror and evil”.
Ana Brnabič, President of Parliament, has identified current events as a “book example of the revolution” and claims that the goal is “intentionally creating social chaos and violently overthrowing the constitutional order”.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dačič called on the situation to soothe the situation, but at the same time stated that it was necessary to sanction those who committed offenses. In the protests in Belgrade, 16 people have been detained so far, but the minister later mentioned that there were 5. He also claimed that “the main goal of these protests is violence”.
Police interventions and criticism
The police in Belgrade intervened and used gendarmerie units to spread the demonstrators and check the surrounding streets. The Ministry of the Interior (Mup) rejects the accusations that the police had acted illegally and insists that “the police have proceeded in accordance with the law”.
Of the 17 arrested demonstrators in Valjevo, nine accused will be, while eight will be canceled electronic supervision.
EU answer
The current political situation in Serbia is also addressed by the European Union. Ambassador Andreas von Beckerath met with the President of Parliament Ana Brnabičová, stressing that “all parties must comply with fundamental rights, including the right to a peaceful protest”. He condemned all forms of violence and called for dialogue as the only way forward.
Von Beckerath also stressed that the police procedure must be appropriate and any suspicion of excessive use of force must be examined as well as violence against journalists.
This article comes from Ringier Media’s partner website. The content and data mentioned in it were taken without editorial interventions.
