Serbian opposition: Incidents in the protest were caused by "authority hooligans"

2023-12-25 10:14:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Serbian opposition: Incidents in the protest were caused by "authority

The coalition "Serbia against violence" (SPN) claims that the incidents at the opposition protest in Belgrade on December 24 were caused by "hooligans sent by the government".

"The authorities used violence to present the peaceful protests as violent," said the SPN statement.

This coalition added that "sending hooligans" to cause incidents in the protest has been used by the government to damage the initiative of the protesters who demand the repetition of the December 17 elections.

"The regime of the president of Serbia, Aleksandar Vu?i?, has once again shown his true, violent face," said the coalition "Serbia against violence" on December 25.

In the SPN statement, it is stated that the special units have used brutal force against the citizens.

"They beat one of the demonstrators and broke his leg, kicking him while he was lying on the ground. After the protest, the police also attacked Radomir Lazovi? from the Left Green Front", says the announcement of the SPN.

Violent protest in Serbia/ Opposition supporters try to enter the Belgrade Parliament
December 24, 22:55

This political coalition declared that a large number of peaceful citizens were arrested, for whom it warned that it would provide legal protection.

"Regardless of the cost, we will never accept the theft that was organized in the December 17 elections," SPN said.

Aleksandër Shapic, official of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and chairman of the Interim Belgrade City Authority, said the police responded to the protests in the most tolerant way possible.

"Such demonstrations have nothing to do with the elections, because it is about the overthrow of the state by a group of people", said Shapic.

More than 30 demonstrators were arrested during the protest of the opposition coalition "Serbia against violence" on December 24 in Belgrade.

During the protest, a group of masked people tried to enter the Belgrade Assembly, broke the windows and doors, while the police inside the building threw tear gas at them.

The police were then stationed in front of the Belgrade Assembly and removed the gathered from that part of the city where the buildings of the Presidency of Serbia, the Assembly of Serbia and the headquarters of the Republican Election Commission are located. Police said seven police officers were injured.

This was the seventh protest of the opposition in the capital of Serbia with the request for the cancellation of the elections held on December 17. The "Serbia against violence" list claims that the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) stole the elections, among other things, by fictitiously registering their voters from countries outside Serbia./ REL