Minister Stankovic: Protesters ruined interior of Student Cultural Center (SKC) in Belgrade

Photo: Handout photos

Minister of Education Dejan Vuk Stankovic said today after visiting the Student Cultural Center (SKC) - from which protesting students were removed this morning with the assistance of the police - that extensive damage has been done to the interior, including broken furniture, as a part of the premises was being appropriated illegally.

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Stankovic told Tanjug that there were no clashes with the police during the intervention, and that the officers instead did their job routinely and took control of the building.

The minister stated that the SKC was exposed to several months of blockade and that it will take considerable time to repair and restore it to the previous condition.

"The building is not in the condition it should be in, the cultural events space that was once a symbol of urban and artistic Belgrade has been damaged, and it will take considerable time to restore it," said Stankovic.

He added that furniture has been broken, a number of computers are missing, as well as audio equipment used during concerts.

"The walls are scribbled on, you can tell that someone was staying, sleeping and living there, completely illegally. The entire building is in a state of decay, and I think that this should be reversed as soon as possible so that the SKC is back to its former glory, one of the important places for culture and young people in Belgrade," said Stankovic.

Protesting students, who have been blocking the SKC building in Belgrade since February 12, were kicked out of that institution this morning with the assistance of the police.

These students issued a statement saying that the police, together with the (SKC) administration, entered the building in Kralja Milana Street No. 48 this morning, and that Acting Director Slaboljub Veselinovic was present.

(Telegraf.rs/Tanjug)