Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić addressed the public last night, one day before the large protest scheduled for today in Belgrade regarding the alleged plans “to provoke conflict during the demonstrations.”
Vučić stated that the Serbian state would ensure resources so that, as he emphasized, the unregistered gathering would continue peacefully.
According to him, anyone who attacks participants in the protests will be arrested, as well as anyone who attacks another person or any institution, as reported by the Serbian public media “RTS.”
“I call on all citizens of Serbia to remain calm. I ask parents, as we have many indications, many groups warning of violence, not to take their children to the streets unless absolutely necessary. I am only talking about children, so no one will say that we are preventing others from coming. And of course, we will make sure to guarantee peace, safety for everyone,” Vučić said in his speech to the citizens.
He also warned and asked those who think they are attacking those who think differently, especially children in Pioneer Park, particularly institutions, “not to do so.”
“Not because I am afraid they will do something, far from it, and I am telling you this a day in advance. I am asking this for your sake because tomorrow you will ask me for forgiveness. There will be no forgiveness; I made that big mistake once,” he said.
Thousands of citizens took to the streets of Belgrade on Friday night to welcome the students who are arriving on foot from the far corners of Serbia.
Meanwhile, a counter-protest was organized in Pioneer Park, between the Presidency of Serbia and the National Assembly of Serbia, where a group of students opposing faculty blockages set up tents. They placed tractors around them.
In this regard, Vučić told them that they should “try to understand that we need to live together, regardless of different opinions.”
The protests in Belgrade erupted after the incident at the Novi Sad railway station on November 1, 2024, where 15 people lost their lives.
Students in these protests are demanding criminal and political responsibility for their deaths and are protesting against corruption.
