A group of pro-government supporters, stationed in the tent settlement known as “Ćacilend,” attacked opposition MPs this morning as they tried to enter the Serbian Parliament. The incident highlights the ongoing polarization and use of intimidation in Belgrade, where Aleksandar Vučić’s government has for months relied on the tent settlement to exert pressure on political opponents.
According to footage shared on social media, opposition MPs first removed a fence in front of the settlement and moved a tent previously occupied by ruling Serbian Progressive Party MP Uglješa Mrdić. Following this, dozens of people from “Ćacilend” rushed at the MPs, shouting insults, while the clash was partially prevented by police and personnel in fluorescent vests.
Blaming the opposition
Serbian Parliament President Ana Brnabić blamed the opposition MPs for causing the incident, claiming that the people in the tent settlement were “just defending the tents.” Brnabić added that MPs will be able to enter through any entrance in the future, but warned them to “come to their workplace, not to attack.”
Observers and journalists, however, note that the “Ćacilend” settlement was established as a government response to anti-government protests and blockades, which erupted after the tragic death of 16 people in the collapse of a canopy at the Novi Sad railway station.
“Ćacilend” as a symbol of Vučić’s control
President Aleksandar Vučić has repeatedly called “Ćacilend” a symbol of freedom, while the settlement has blocked central Belgrade for over six months, allowing the government to control access to Parliament, with the police largely failing to respond to attacks on anti-government demonstrators and journalists.
This incident underscores how Aleksandar Vučić’s government relies on intimidation and the use of violence to maintain control over political space, while opposition figures and citizens critical of the regime are exposed to harassment and physical threats by regime supporters.
