A massive protest took place yesterday in Belgrade, with the Public Assembly Archive estimating attendance at 140,000 people. However, the Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs downplayed the turnout, claiming that only 36,000 people participated.
President Aleksandar Vučić accused the protesting students on Sunday of making “direct calls for civil conflict and attacks against the police,” referring to developments at the end of a protest held on June 28 in Slavija Square in Belgrade.
During a joint press conference with Interior Minister Ivica Dačić, Vučić called on prosecutors to “do their job” and “not act incompetent or naive.”
However, it appears that Vučić didn’t rely solely on official security forces.
Individuals involved in the September 24 terrorist attack in Banjska, northern Kosovo, were deployed to secure the Serbian Presidency during the protest.
Photos show that those providing personal security for Vučić included:
- Milorad Jevtić, known as “Micko”
- Žarko Cvetković (seen with a radio communication device)
- Vladimir Vuçetić
- Vukašin Jaredić, the brother of Uglješa Jaredić
Milorad Jevtić (Micko) is a member of the terrorist organization “Civilna Zaštita” (Civil Protection) and a participant in the terrorist attack on the village of Banjska in Zvečan. His ID card was seized by the Kosovo Police, and a vehicle used during the terrorist attack was registered in his name.
Žarko Cvetković, a close associate of Milun Milenković “Lune”, is also a member of Civilna Zaštita and took part in the Banjska attack. In June 2024, when Kosovo Police seized a cache of weapons in northern Mitrovica, acting regional police director Veton Elshani publicly named Cvetković as a suspect during a press conference.
Vladimir Vuçetić and Vukašin Jaredić were likewise involved in the Banjska case.
Their presence was identified by Serbian civil society activists and opposition politicians, who noted that the Banjska attackers have now become personal bodyguards of President Vučić.
It is important to note that all of these individuals are part of the terrorist organization “Civilna Zaštita” and are named in the indictment by the Special Prosecution of the Republic of Kosovo.
Meanwhile, during the police intervention at the protest in Slavija Square, 77 people were arrested, and 48 police officers were injured, according to Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dačić on Sunday.
He stated that the clashes between some protesters and the police began at 21:42.
“During the intervention, 48 officers were injured – 38 members of the gendarmerie, two from the brigade, seven officers from the intervention unit, and one officer assigned to operational security,” Dačić reported.
In addition to the student-led protest, supporters of President Vučić also held a counter-demonstration on Saturday, which they called a “literary evening.”
