COVID-19 protests and riots in Serbia

On 7 July 2020, a series of protests and riots began over the government announcement of the reimplementation of the curfew and the government's allegedly poor handling of the COVID-19 situation, as well as being a partial continuation of the previous protests known as "One of Five Million". The initial demand of the protesters had been to cancel the planned reintroduction of curfew in Serbia during July, which was successfully achieved in less than 48 hours of the protest.[2][3] The protesters also demanded a more technical response to the COVID-19 crisis and more factual and constructive information about the ongoing medical situation. Among other causes, the protests were driven by the crisis of democratic institutions under Aleksandar Vučić's rule and the growing concern that the President is concentrating all powers in his hands at the expense of the parliament.[4]

Serbia COVID-19 protests and riots
Part of Serbian protests (2018–2020)
Date7 July 2020 – ongoing
Location
Belgrade, outside the entrance to the Parliament

During the next days the protest was spread to following cities:

Caused by
  • Planned re-establishment of a curfew for the weekend in Belgrade
  • Government's mismanagement of the COVID-19 crisis
  • Alleged faking of the true numbers of newly infected and deaths, separated databases for the government and the public[1]
  • Erosion of the state of democracy and democratic institutions, President Vučić's authoritarian grip on power
  • Kosovo crisis
  • Migrant crisis
Goals
  • Cancel planned curfew (succeeded)
  • Replacement of members of the Serbian Government's COVID-19 Crisis Team
  • New parliamentary elections
  • Resignation of the Serbian Government and President
MethodsProtests, political activism, civil disobedience
StatusEnded
Parties to the civil conflict
Lead figures
Srđan Nogo
Saša Radulović
Antonije Davidović		 Aleksandar Vučić
Ana Brnabić
Aleksandar Vulin
Nebojša Stefanović
Number
10000s
100s
Casualties
Injuries76+ protesters, 118+ policeman, 4 journalists, 3 police horses
Arrested223+
Damaged6 police vehicles destroyed, various buildings damaged, damaged street signs

Cause of protests
See also: COVID-19 pandemic in Serbia

Covid-19 crises mismanagement

On 7 July 2020, the day when protests began, Serbia saw its deadliest day during the COVID-19 Pandemic with 13 deaths. President Vučić said that situation in the capital city is alarming, and has announced that he is banning gatherings of more than 5 people and imposing a curfew from Friday 18:00 to Monday 5:00 local time.[5]

The Serbian Government has been accused of hiding true numbers of people infected and deaths from COVID-19. BIRN's research showed that in the period from 19 March to 1 June 2020, a total of 632 people died in Serbia who had tested positive for COVID-19 which is more than twice as many as the officially announced number of 244 deaths in that period. BIRN has learned that by analysing data obtained from the state's COVID-19 information system.[6] The President has been accused of lifting the lockdown too early in order to hold parliamentary elections in which his party won by a landslide.[5]

During this period, large parties[7], sport events and gatherings happened and greatly increased the number of infected individuals. A big sport event was also held, a football game between Red Star and Partizan with tens of thousands people attending.[8] A leading specialist in the COVID-19 Crisis Team, closely related to the ruling party in money schemes[9], has said that the sport events were not an epidemiological risk because "tickets were sold online" even though thousands attended without practicing social distancing measures or wearing masks.[10] After those events, Danas newspaper called for Serbian Government COVID-19 Crisis Team "to wake up from hibernation" and ban large gatherings.[11] Serbian Government COVID-19 Crisis Team started consideration of reinforcement of COVID-19 measures one day after elections.[12]

Election fraud allegations
See also: 2020 Serbian parliamentary election

The leader of the opposition party Enough is Enough, Saša Radulović, has accused the ruling SNS of election fraud and said that numerous irregularities were recorded. Radulović has said the Republic Electoral Commission (RIK) has repeatedly ignored the evidence of irregularities his party submitted and accused them of working in the ruling party's interest.[13]

His movement had submitted 2,700 complaints and on 30 June, Radulović told the media the Administrative Court had formally accepted 175 complaints his party had submitted, saying that the voting must, therefore, be repeated in 2700 polling stations which makes one-third of all polling stations. He had accused the Electoral Commission of not observing the proper procedures while counting votes, stating that the ballot box content was not checked and the voting results were determined solely on the basis of ballot paper account forms.[14]

Radulović has supported the protests and stated that his party's goal is to invalidate the election results and call for fresh elections. He has said that the goal of the protest should be to force the government to organise new elections.[15]

He has submitted pleas to the Constitutional Court of Serbia and has threatened to file a report to the European Court of Human Rights if the Serbian courts don't overthrow the elections. Rule of law and the independence of the judiciary is seriously hindered, as assessed by the European Commission Report for Serbia 2019[16].

Timeline

7 July 2020

Belgrade

Locals, students, and members of the Do not let Belgrade d(r)own gathered in front of the National Assembly and peacefully protested. Many of them wore masks and observed social distancing rules.[5] Just before 20:30, protesters started throwing rocks and bottles at the police, few torches were thrown, as well.[17] Around 22:00, a large group stormed National Assembly building involving nationalists and anti-vaccine campaigner Srđan Nogo. As they entered the building, they shouted "Serbia has risen".[5] Clashes occurred inside the building for 15 minutes. Around 22:15, police managed to completely clear the building but clashes continued outside as police fired tear gas and used batons against protesters.[17] Violent protests continued during the whole night. At least 24 people were injured.[17]

Protesters using fence to push away police from entrance into National Assembly building, Belgrade 7 July 2020.

Kragujevac

Protesters peacefully marched through the city, no police was present.[17]

8 July 2020

Belgrade

Protesters gathered in the evening on the same place as yesterday, and violence continued between police and protesters. This time, police were reinforced by police cavalry and Gendarmery.[17] During clashes with police, leader of Dveri Boško Obradović, was injured by the police. Who afterward said: "You can fight your people every day, it will be more of us, people won't stand this". He also called for Gendarmery to throw their shields and side with protesters.[18] Sergej Trifunović, leader of the Movement of Free Citizens, tried to join the protests but he was pushed out by protesters and forced to leave. He left after he was attacked by protesters and suffered a blow to the head.[19] Protesters tried to occupy the National Assembly building again but this time were stopped by the Gendarmery and police cavalry. After failing to occupy the National Assembly building, protesters marched through the center of Belgrade, and clashes with police continued. Protesters also set police vehicles on fire. A video

Novi Sad

Thousands of protesters gathered around 18:00 in Novi Sad, where they demanded the resignation of the Serbian Government and President, as well as health officials and other members of the COVID-19 Crisis Management Group.[17] Protesters demolished premises of the Serbian Progressive Party,[20] broke window on RTV premise, and set the entrance to the City Hall on fire. Person who broke the window on RTV premise cut his leg while breaking the window. Protesters also damaged a nearby McDonald's restaurant. Protesters broke windows at the city hall and threw Molotov cocktails and firecrackers through the broken windows. Police arrived on 22:00 when most of the damage was already done and most of the protesters left, the remaining protesters threw cans at police while police fired tear gas.[21]

Niš

Protesters gathered at 19:00 and peacefully marched through the city.[17] The protesters threw stones at the local SNS headquarters and tore down SNS posters, and threw eggs at the Vučić election poster.[22]

Kragujevac

Protests in Kragujevac were peaceful until 22:00 when protesters threw eggs and cans on police, they afterward broke the window of the town hall and threw a torch through the broken window. Police fired tear gas at protesters after this. Soon afterwards most of the protesters left.[23]

Smederevo

Protesters peacefully marched through the city and tore down one billboard of Aleksandar Vučić.[17]

9 July 2020
Protesters sitting in front of the National Assembly to prove they are not violent, under the slogan of "Sit down, don't fall for it"

On 9 July, protests were mostly peaceful and there was no need for police intervention. Some protesters called others on social media to on today's protest wear white t-shirts and sit on the ground in order to show that they don't want riots that have been going on for last two days, many of them did that.[24] Protests spread out to the other cities of Serbia and besides Belgrade, they were also held in: Novi Sad, Niš, Pančevo, Kragujevac, Smederevo, Kruševac, Čačak and Kraljevo.[25] In Belgrade, minor clashes erupted between a group of protesters who wanted riot and peaceful protesters, no one was injured.[24] A police officer was filmed in Belgrade setting a trash dumpster on fire, something which was heavily blamed on the protesters for "destroying city property."[26]

10 July 2020

In Belgrade, protesters threw smoke grenades and torches at police while attempting to storm the National Assembly. Police responded with tear gas, rubber bullets, and batons. Some demonstrators were seen throwing metal fences towards the police. Other demonstrators were seen protesting peacefully. Protests in other cities were held peacefully.[27] During this day, at least 19 people were injured and more than 70 more people were arrested, including a protestor who stabbed another protestor with a knife.[27]

11 July 2020
Protestor putting bulldozer toy in front of stairs of National Assembly in honour of Joe the Bulldozer driver, a famous figure in the 2000 overthrow of Slobodan Milosevic

Protests in cities across Serbia were peaceful. In Belgrade many protesters paid their respects to Ljubisav Đokić, better known by his nickname "Joe the Bulldozer Driver", who was part of protests in previous days and had died earlier that day.[28] Antonije Davidović, a radical political activist and a former monk who was excommunicated from the Serbian Orthodox Church,[29] made a speech in which he called for protesters to take off their masks, after which many of protesters left. Around 12:30 AM, the police violently chased off and arrested several remaining peaceful protestors in front of the National Assembly in Belgrade. The same day in Niš, protesters gave the police a handful of flowers and the Serbian flag. Peaceful protests occurred throughout Serbia.[30]

3 August 2020

The last major protest occured in Belgrade in front of the Parliament building while the new members of the parliament were being sworn in. During that day, protest leader Srđan Nogo and one of his followers were arrested by the police and charged with inciting sedition under article 309 of the Criminal Code of Serbia.[31] A video of Antonije Davidović throwing eggs on the Parliament building while wearing a Christian cassock went viral, with many media outlets pointing out that Davidović is not really a priest nor a member of any recognized church or religious organization in Serbia.[29][32][33]

Police brutality

Few journalists who were documenting protests on the night of 7 July 2020 said that there was police brutality present.[34] Non-government organisation Belgrade center for human rights built two legal cases against policeman for police brutality.[35] Around 23:30 on 7 July 2020, police beat up Beta journalist with truncheons even though he showed the journalist legitimisation, they continued to hit him even after he fell on the ground.[36] Minister of Interior Nebojša Stefanović said police acted violently only when it was forced to.[17]

Police brutally beat up a man lying on the street, at least 10 policemen took part in this beating. Later, a police officer left the man on a sidewalk.

Involvement of the Armed Forces

On 9 July 2020, several news outlets reported that the Minister of Defence Aleksandar Vulin had ordered the 63rd Parachute Brigade to clear peaceful protestors in Niš, but the Brigade commander has refused to carry on the order. The claim was denied by the Serbian Ministry of Defence saying that would go against the Constitution of Serbia as well as the existing Military Code.

Responses

Aleksandar Vučić

After the first protests on 7 July, the president said that in the protests "there was not only criminal factor but foreign factor as well".[37] He also called these protests "the worst political violence in the past few years".[38] On 9 July, he called the protests an act of terrorism,[39] he also said the protests "don't bother him at all".[40] On 10 July, Vučić blamed Croatia for the riots.[41] Vučić has blamed the spike of the COVID-19 on the protestors and has referred to them as "fascists, right-wingers, conspiracy theorists, flat-Earthers"[42] and etcetera.

Aleksandar Vulin

The Serbian Minister of Defence, Aleksandar Vulin said that a special war is waged against the Army and the country by fake news.[43] He also called protests on 9 July "an attempt to start a civil war"[44]

United States

The United States Embassy in Serbia had issued a press release stating that they are concerned with violence against the police officers, as well as targeted police brutality against peaceful protestors. They further stated that the freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are a vital point of any democracy, and that Serbia must work on its freedom of media and rule of law.[45]

European Union

Sem Fabrizi, ambassador of EU to Serbia, said that Brussels is worried by recent riots in Serbia.[46]

Russia

Following the allegations about Russian involvement in the ongoing protests in certain Serbian media close to the ruling party, the Russian ambassador to Serbia denied these claims and stated on his Twitter account that the allegations are 'unfounded' 'absurd' and 'twisted'.[47]

The Russian Foreign Ministry followed up with a statement in which they called the allegations of Russian involvement in the protests as 'fake' and had the aim of 'casting a shadow on Serbian-Russian partnership'.[48]

See also

References
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