Attacks on Students in Novi Sad: Aleksandar Vučić Must Be Held Accountable
Last night’s attack on students in Novi Sad represents a completely new phase in the horrifying violence that the Serbian Progressive Party has been generating since the beginning of the protests over the murder of 15 people in Novi Sad. Although it has been clear from the very start that the Serbian Progressive Party and Aleksandar Vučić personally are the ones inciting violence, inspiring it, and encouraging those who attack students, this time is different – last night, the attackers came directly from the premises of the Serbian Progressive Party. They strangled students, chased them with cars intending to run them over, found another group of students, beat them, and kicked and punched a girl in the head after she fell.
There are no more excuses – neither the claim that they are “ordinary citizens fed up with the blockades” nor that the president will choose his words more carefully if someone misunderstood and thought he gave permission to attack students. This time, it is clearer than ever that those who trample, beat, attack, strangle, and attempt to kill citizens on the streets are in the service of the Serbian Progressive Party, whose leader is Aleksandar Vučić.
No calls for dialogue, de-escalation, supposed condemnation, or outrage from regime representatives – from Aleksandar Vučić to the mayor of Novi Sad – can be considered valid. These are merely reflections of hypocrisy, political shamelessness, and yet another act of humiliation and disdain towards citizens.
It is clearer than ever: the Serbian Progressive Party is organizing attacks on the citizens of Serbia and must be held accountable for it. The moment Serbian institutions begin to perform their duties, this party must be banned. Aleksandar Vučić must face justice for all the violence that has resulted from his words.
Dr. Aleksandra Jerkov
Member of the Executive Board,
Regional Academy for Democratic development