An incident in front of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) premises in Valjevo has sparked controversy, with critics alleging that authorities are unfairly targeting citizens who were participating in a rally. While it remains unclear who initiated the confrontation, four individuals have been detained, all of whom were citizens at the protest.
The incident occurred last night after citizens placed a sticker on the SNS office door that read, “Call for elections, coward.” A subsequent confrontation ensued, with reports that individuals inside the SNS premises threw eggs and hard objects at the crowd.
Allegations of Staged Incident and Unprofessional Police Response
Witnesses reported that those inside the SNS premises were “fully equipped” to “defend” their office. Reporter Sanja Dovečer of TV Marš stated that individuals who had been throwing objects were later seen at the Valjevo Police Administration but were not detained.
Lawyer Branko Ivković criticized the police’s reaction, calling it slow and unprofessional. “The video shows how, when the shooting started from the SNS premises, citizens approached, begged, and demanded that the police react. They stood still, turned their heads, and finally hid,” Ivković said. He added, “I can only comment that this was a staged incident.”
Despite the attackers being visible, Ivković noted that it was the demonstrators who were quickly identified and detained. He stated that the blame lies with the SNS Valjevo and the police for their “completely unprofessional manner.”
Higher Authorities Blamed for Inciting Violence
Journalist Stevan Ristić linked the incident to a broader trend, stating that the violence is “the result of heightened rhetoric coming from the pro-regime media, as well as heightened rhetoric from the president himself.” He suggested that the rhetoric seems to be motivating some voters to “be violent and to take matters into their own hands.”
While the Valjevo Assembly has demanded a public apology from the local SNS for inciting violence, the local SNS city committee has not apologized. In a statement, they instead told residents to “prepare to take responsibility for the violations of the law and the damage they have caused.“
