Novi Sad Erupts: Thousands Take to the Streets as Dacic Deploys Hundreds of Police Vehicles in Show of Force

Novi Sad Erupts: Thousands Take to the Streets as Dacic Deploys Hundreds of Police Vehicles in Show of Force

November 5, 2024 Catherine Williams - Chief Editor News

A few hours before a large protest rally in Novi Sad, several buildings of the local committee of the ruling Progressive Party of Serbia (SNS) were thrown red paint, or windows were broken, and the opposition announced on Tuesday that the government, with the help of supporter groups, intended to incite riots in the capital Vojvodina.

In Novi Sad, a peaceful protest of citizens and the opposition started in front of the Railway Station building at 6 pm, demanding the responsibility of all those responsible for the tragedy when the canopy fell, where 14 people died and three were injured’ n serious, according to Hina.

“You will answer to Miloš Vučević, Goran Vesić, Milan Đurić and Aleksandar Vučić”, said in the speech at the beginning of the meeting.

Objection: “The authorities are preparing to incite riots and destroy public property with the help of close supporters groups”

Before the meeting, the united opposition party announced that “the government is preparing with the help of close supporters groups to incite riots and destroy public property in today’s protest meeting of citizens in Novi Sad”, regional and local media reported.

The opposition parties claim it is a group of Vojvodina supporters, and they point to a controversial businessman close to SNS as the organizer. The opposition, who wish to prevent this, have prepared security guards who will resist them, record and take pictures of their activities, so that they will be fully exposed, the statement states.

As reported by the “021.rs” portal, the opposition party says that the mass response of citizens to the protest will hinder their intentions and that the government contacted some supporter groups who refused to cooperate on Monday.

“The protest will be the greatest ever manifestation of the will and determination of the people to change the monstrous system of values ​​in our society, and that is why no one can be intimidated by a handful of hooligans,” the opposition parties conclude in a statement.

SOS taxi drivers in Novi Sad also joined the citizens’ protest.

“021.rs” notes that the former prime minister of the province Bojan Pajtić previously wrote on social media that members of the “SNS in Novi Sad distribute baseball bats to fans” and instruct them to break shop windows and cause material damage.

In this context, the media reports that several rooms of the SNS local board have been painted red or their windows have been broken. The offices of SNS local committees in the streets of Petrovaradin, Veternik, Stražilovska, Kosovska and Rumenačka are in question, while the graffiti “SNS is a mafia, Vučić is a murderer” and “Warning, the state kills” are written on paths pedestrians in the city.

Director of the Student Center splashed with red paint

In front of the SNS site in Novi Sad, there was a verbal conflict between the director of the Novi Sad Student Center Zoran Martinović and the students and Milan Pogačar, because he did not allow them to place posters on the party site. . On that occasion, the attendees poured red paint on the centre’s director.

PHOTO: Screenshot/N1

Time in Novi Trist: In the city, the police in “combat gear”, jeeps and trucks in the courtyard of the City Assembly

In Novi Sad, on the eve of the protest tonight, there is a large police presence. Several jeeps and SUVs entered the courtyard of the Novi Sad City Assembly, a reporter from Beta agency reported earlier today.

Also, a large number of such vehicles are parked on Mihajla Pupin Boulevard, near the Arena cinema.

Opposition councilors shared footage on social media showing a large number of police officers in uniform, with display equipment and shields, entering City Hall in a column.

After the tragedy in Novi Sad, the citizens of the previous days have thrown red paint at the state institutions, blaming them for the accident at the Railway Station in Novi Sad that happened on November 1.

Protest in Belgrade by the end of the week

By the end of the week, a protest will be held in Belgrade, with the same demands that the entire opposition stood behind. These are: the resignation of Prime Minister Miloš Vučević and the mayor of Novi Sad, Milan Đurić, the arrest of those directly responsible for the failures in the reconstruction of the Railway Station, as well as the disclosure of a secret contract with Chinese companies.

The date and time of the protest in Belgrade should be announced today.

After the meeting, the opposition indicated that the resignation of Minister Goran Vesić cannot be enough, because Prime Minister Miloš Vučević bears the greatest political responsibility for the tragedy.

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