At least 17,000 people demonstrated this Saturday, December 30 in the Serbian capital at the call of a collective of intellectuals to denounce electoral fraud during the legislative elections two weeks ago. It was the party of President Aleksandar Vučić which came first. A demonstration lasting more than 3 hours which took place peacefully.
4 mins
With our special correspondent in Belgrade, Jelena Tomic
No incident disrupted this demonstration organized by civil society. Many families, young people, retirees and provincials came to applaud the speakers, very angry against the silence and denial of the authorities in the face of what they call a “ flight “.
A heartfelt tribute was paid to all these courageous women who fight for a better future. Like Marinika Tepic, the opponent on hunger strike for 12 days who was cheered by the crowd.
During the parade, protesters displayed red cards in front of institutions controlled by Aleksandar Vučić’s regime. The Serbian president has so far remained deaf to demands, refusing to admit the irregularities denounced by the opposition and to calm this crisis.
Finally, note that a large part of the country, having no access to independent media, was unaware of the existence of this gathering and of the irregularities noted following the December 17 vote by independent organizations and international observers.
After the speakers’ speeches, the procession headed towards the Constitutional Court. Why there? Djordje, a retiree, explains to us: “ Because they are sleeping, we go there to wake them up. They remain deaf to our calls. My children left here on time. My daughter lives in the United States, my son in Italy. And I demonstrate, because all my life, I have fought injustice. We must fight every day as if it were the last of our existence. »
For Ivanka Popovic, who called for demonstrations, the ills from which the country suffers are numerous: “ A part of the population is convinced that they cannot change anything. And it is very negative and contrary to the principles of a democratic society that the voice of each citizen counts and must be heard and that we have the obligation to act as citizens »
Nikola, in his forties, proudly displays a European flag: “ I carry this flag because I believe that our culture and our civilization are European and that our place is in European institutions. Instead, we live in a dictatorial regime, without democracy or the rule of law. »
Ivan wants to believe in change: “ I think this movement will continue. This is the opportunity to put an end to this way of governing. And if it runs out of steam, then there will be no hope for us. »
After three hours of mobilization, the demonstrators dispersed peacefully. On this New Year’s Eve, no incident disrupted the event.
Words of demonstrators – Report
Intergenerational mobilization
This gathering on Terazije Square had an air of déjà vu. Especially for the fifty-year-olds who came in large numbers, many of them accompanied by their children. Zoran Stankovic: “ Since the 1990s, I have participated in almost every demonstration when it came to denouncing injustice. Before it was as a student, now I do it as a parent. A certain fatigue has set in, by dint of demonstrating, we have the feeling of going in circles. What we are experiencing looks a lot like the 1990s. »
Matthias, 23, is a political science student. He had the opportunity to vote twice. He has been demonstrating since he was 16. This time because he himself witnessed irregularities as an observer in the polling station in his neighborhood: “ It was a well-oiled manipulation. Neighbors I know who could vote remotely were never able to do so because someone else voted in their place. Of course I reported the fraud. It is very important to demonstrate today, because if we accept that our votes are being stolen, we will not have to complain if illegitimate elected officials govern us. I just hope this will be my last protest. »
With New Year’s Eve, the wave of protest marks a pause. No new date has been set at this time.
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Belgrade: civil society organizes a rally this Saturday, December 30