Demonstrators to block Serbia if demands are not met

The anti-government “Serbia against violence” show no sign of abating, with organisers threatening to block highways and large roads around the country if their demands are not met by the end of the week.

One of the demands, the cancellation of the reality show “Zadruga” on Pink TV, seemed to have been met by the production in the previous week. A two-day finale was broadcast live on Thursday and Friday. However, in the show’s final week, a new season was announced for this autumn.

The sixth “Serbia against violence” protest was held in downtown Belgrade over the weekend, with demonstrators making a circle around the government building. Organised by parts of the opposition, the protests will “get a new format” if all remaining demands are not met, actor Hadži Nenad Maričić said, addressing the crowd.

“If our demands are unmet, this will take on a new shape. We will take new actions from this stage. Therefore, I am calling upon you to come in larger numbers than ever before. No going back,” he said.

The organisers have said that if the government does not meet the demands, the next step is to “block Serbia”. Highways and large roads around the country will be blocked by demonstrators for a couple of hours “to begin with”.

The exact date of the seventh protest depends on the end of the parliamentary session, which is expected to be late this week.

The demands remain the same – cancellation of print media that promotes violence and spreads fake news and for national broadcast licences to be taken from TV stations that do the same. The resignation of Internal Affairs Minister Bratislava Gašić and Director of BIA Aleksandar Vulin and the cancellation of all TV shows that promote violence and aggression are also among the demands.

Last week’s protest focused on the Education Ministry because of the “haphazard ending of the school year”. The Ministry announced on June 2nd that the school year will end on 6 June.

The question of the school year ending was a controversial topic for weeks due to the mass shooting in the “Vladislav Ribnikar” elementary school, where nine children and a guard were killed.

After weeks of debate, The Ministry announced that the building would remain a school, with parts of it turned into a memorial centre for the victims of a 13-year-old student.

(EURACTIV.rs | Bojana Zimonjić Jelisavac)