Serbian protests Megathread

[u/BkkGrl]

Serbia is currently experiencing protest and clashes against the government and its police forces.

This thread is to gather all the single pieces of media, pictures and videos.

However every main event and news in the form of link will deserve its own topic.

Thanks for your collaboration

[u/Mou_aresei]

For anyone wondering how the EU might help in this situation - place vučić and his cronies under individual sanctions, freeze their assets abroad. And stop clapping him on the back. Being deeply concerned is not going to help, time to take some real action.

[u/ocd_harli → u/Mou_aresei]

Is there a political leader that protesters are supporting? Like, what's the end goal, how does success look like?

[u/Zestyclose-Shower381 → u/ocd_harli]

We, the students made a list of 250 people for national elections, they would be in the parliament. We want early elections. Fair elections. Were preparing to have our people in every voting place there is to stop the election fraud.

[u/ocd_harli → u/Zestyclose-Shower381]

Ah ok, so the goal is to have early elections, that's great.

But can you expand on the 250 people? Is it about elections or to put those specific people in the parliament, or to only have those running?

[u/Zestyclose-Shower381 → u/ocd_harli]

Since english, obviously, isnt my frist language I might not be able to give the best explanation when it comes to certain things.

Since every single higher education institution was blocked by students for about 8 months now, during that time we planned protests and our strategy together, but in a decetralized way. Every department (faculty) of every university had its own "autonomy" to make decisions. Strictly students would gather and make decisions in a democratic way. Basically hold a discussion and make decisions by a simple majority vote.

The media (propaganda) in Serbia is EXTREMELY bad. I dont even know how I would explain it. The state controlled media (90% of total media) in Serbia has been discrediting and lying about every single opposition politician with the simple goal of making it impossible to create a strong opposition against SNS, the ruling party for the last 13 years.

Sadly, the propaganda is so bad and the opposition leaders lost the trust of the people. Justified or not, the students decided that the people on our list must not have major past political activity.

The list we made is still kept a secret. Every faculty voted their candidate based on the number of students that are in that faculty. Basically a few bigger faculties got to choose maybe 3 people at most, but evrey single faculty got to choose at least one candidate. The main criteria we looked for in a candidate is knowledge and experience in their respected fields.

You could probably guess that students from the medical school know very well who could be a good knowledgeable candidate that could bring good changes in the field of health in Serbia. Same goes for every profession and field.

The list would be candidated for the (hopefully) early parliamentary elections, where, if we got a majority of the vote, could start making changes and prosecuting corrupt politicians from the past 20 years.

Vucic, the main leader of the ruling party has accepted every call for early elections in the past because he knew he would win. A bit of propaganda, a bit of repression and propaganda against the opposition and he would have an easy win.

Now, we all know, and the studies of public opinion show that the student list woud get the majority vote, and now, hes delaying the elections as much as he can.

I definitely missed a lot of important information here but i hope this has cleared up some things. Feel free to ask anything :)

[u/ocd_harli → u/Zestyclose-Shower381]

Thanks for the breakdown. I knew most of it as I've been passively following since Novi Sad incident, and I'm well aware of the propaganda, but I did not know about election of potential leaders. At this time, is that a wish list from students, or these people agreed to step up?

[u/Zestyclose-Shower381 → u/ocd_harli]

I dont understand you question fully. Students decided to make a list they woud support when the elections come. We called people we thought would be a good choice, interviewed them together. Discussed and then chose who would be our candidate. The candidates know they could be on the list and agreed with it.

[u/ocd_harli → u/Zestyclose-Shower381]

>  The candidates know they could be on the list and agreed with it.

This was my question, yes. Thanks. And best of luck!

[u/Zestyclose-Shower381 → u/ocd_harli]

Thanks!

[u/Sad-Neighborhood878 → u/ocd_harli]

The plan is to make a temporary government that will organize and initiate the templates and foundation of a healthy, proficiant and functioning state with institutions for one and for all . No need for a "father" figure, just capable experts who will make end to this worthless, corrupted spiral of governing the country with Cosa Nostra practices.

[u/markole → u/Sad-Neighborhood878]

This. Leader cult tradition needs to die out. No need for kings and marshals fellow Serbians, just competent civil servants and good institutions.

[u/Sad-Neighborhood878 → u/markole]

Exactly. Done with all the sickos. Sick dictators belong in mental institutions where they will follow and obey the rules.

[u/nrliii → u/ocd_harli]

Basically the list is not public yet so the people on the list are not threatened etc.. The goal is to put people in charge that deserve to be in charge (meritocracy) because the morons running the country now are just Vucičes puppets. He is surrounded by people with no actual knowledge and are in positions of power just to support the dictatorship. The 250 people are to fill the National Assembly so we can retake the country.

[u/No-Extension-4132 → u/ocd_harli]

They’re doing a lot of bad stuff to regular people who are against the current regime google Milomir Jacimovic or Dijana Hrka. There’s even more stories I know personally, that’s why there’s no political leaders yet and members of the student list’s party members is not still public. So EU wake the fuck up, this is definitely not a liberal democracy, at least then revoke our succession to the EU when there’s a fucking authoritarian in power or idk give him less or no money.

[u/Mou_aresei → u/ocd_harli]

No political leader, that's the thing. This whole cycle of protests was started by student plenaries. The proposal right now is for the students to come out with a list of names of experts for each area of government, who have so far not been involved in any political organisations. This will happen when early elections are called, which is the main demand of the protests right now.

The reason why there is no single leader of the protests is because of the perception that many of our political problems come from the continual need for a saviour figure which quickly turns into authoritarianism. Another reason is that anyone who comes out as a political opposition figure is subjected to all sorts of threats and a media circus organised by the ruling party and their tabloids. That way anyone stepping forward as a possible contender in elections is quickly made unpalatable. 

The end goal would be to defeat vučić in fair elections, to bring an end to his pyramid of crony criminals, to institute the rule of law and take to trial all those responsible for the collapse of the canopy that killed 16 people last year. And for many more crimes committed since the sns party came to power.

[u/ocd_harli → u/Mou_aresei]

Oh.

I mean, that sounds nice on paper, but... 250 people, that by own choice didnt enter politics, are supposed to agree on leading the country only after Vucic decides to do the early elections?

I understand the savior figure issue, but that's solved with an actual political party and their own internal election. _Someone_ should front the political change, and people should stand behind that person, or you'll get to an election, and again have disorganized opposition where out of those 250 some would lean left some right ideologically, some would be pro eu, some against, some would again just be there for personal gain because "expert" does not mean a saint etc. I guess everything is better than a present leaders from your point of view, but if opposition isn't really organized and SNS wins again... its gonna get even worse :/

[u/Mad_broccoli → u/ocd_harli]

I'd say 250 smart and educated people are better than 1 deranged person.

A donkey is better than this one.

[u/MarioSewers → u/Mad_broccoli]

The problem is that this does not present itself as a workable solution when there are organized thugs and a ruling mafia in control of the country. It could even be enough to overthrow a government, but it won't be easy.