Aleksandar Vucic reacts to rioting: No need to deploy soldiers, there will be no civil war

Printscreen: RTS

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic last night addressed the public after the incidents that took place in New Belgrade and Novi Sad.

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"This is a difficult evening for the citizens of Serbia, and what is important is that thanks to the citizens, we managed to, by some miracle, keep the peace. And I say that, because in Novi Sad until a few minutes it was questionable whether around 300 citizens who were guarding their premises would survive. Around 64 people were injured in Novi Sad, and there were very few of them (protesters) at the level of Serbia and Belgrade — about 3,084 people in all locations in and around Belgrade. And they attacked the citizens and the police there, broke windows on cafes, not only those belonging to their political opponents, while there were 1,695 people in Novi Sad who carried out attacks," said Vucic.

According to him, the "blockaders" (protesters) used various weapons and tools.

"We will make sure everyone is taken into custody. Milos Vucevic is in Novi Sad, because he will not allow violence and people getting hurt. We also have members of the Kobra (special army unit) in Novi Sad, five of them were injured, they were attacked with sticks and stones. Those people are swimming in blood in Novi Sad, and they did not touch anyone. Tonight, although there were few - 90 in Subotica, attacking 1,080, that is ten times less than those who were the defenders. There were over 50 in Sid, a similar ratio in (Sremska) Mitrovica, and in many other places," he said.

Vucic reiterated that he is proud of the police officers, 16 of whom got injured, of which one has a broken jaw, while the other sustained a chest injury.

"What is important for people to know, first of all, nothing was happening anywhere except near the SNS party premises, their attacks followed everywhere, nobody attacked them (first). They went everywhere to attack people who think differently, and they cannot stand that. And we have no problem saying that we are ready to listen to people, to see what changes they want, but we cannot talk to people who think that the solution is to endanger someone's life! What they did tonight is a case of multiple muder attempts," he said.

The president added that he tried to get hold of one of the prosecutors, but they were probably "frolicking" at the seaside, or asleep.

"This violence in Novi Sad has not yet been seen in Serbia. They came back with sticks, to attack. We didn't even think of deploying the army, there won't be a civil war. They are now showing despair because there are fewer and fewer of them and they know they haven't succeeded! And, I invite them to sit down and talk, but we can't count on that anymore, because you can only do that with mature people. We are taking measures and cleaning up the streets of Belgrade, soon Novi Sad also, soon in all cities," he stated.

Smilja Panic, Ranko Panic's mother, died on Wednesday, Aleksandar Vucic added. (Ranko Panic was fatally injured during a protest in 2008).

"She spoke the truth when she came and said, 'they killed my son'. And she died on this very day, when the blockaders were showing such violence everywhere. I guess, as the end of a testimony to an ugly time when the government killed was killing its political opponents. That can never happen with us. But there will be no mercy toward thugs," he stressed.

The question is how the situation will end in Novi Sad, Vucic said last night, and then arrests will follow.

"There were rampages in Lazarevac, Kraljevo, and people will be detained there, as in many other places. We have experienced some people literally thinking they would be out killing others, but they will not be allowed to do that. We will prevent their desire to cause conflict, and we will know how to tell those outside (of Serbia) that they will never succeed!," the president concluded.

(Telegraf.rs)