Milivojevic: Riots Caused by Hooligans from Serbian Government’s Recruitment Center

Downtown Belgrade Riots, Dec. 24 2023 (BETAPHOTO/MILOS MISKOV)

The Serbia Against Violence coalition’s nominee for a seat in the Parliament of Serbia, Srdjan Milivojevic, said on Dec. 25 that Aleksandar Vucic’s “regime” resorted to actions amounting to police brutality in a bid to defend fraudulent official results of the Dec. 17 elections.

In a comment on the police intervention outside the Old Palace, now hosting the Belgade city legislature, Milivojevic told BETA that there’s no mechanism Vucic had not used to stay in power, and that the riots outside the Belgrade City Hall had been caused by hooligans from the Serbian government’s recruitment center.

“When it comes to the will of the citizens expressed in elections, we are dealing with a ruthless thief. He’s caught red-handed, and domestic and international election observers confirmed it, together with international officials, controllers at polling stations and even members of the Serbian Progressive Party,” Milivojevic stated.

According to the opposition coalition’s candidate, instead of admitting to election fraud and reducing tensions, Vucic used police repression against the citizens fighting for their vote.

“Last night, too, we had held a peaceful, violence-free rally, the purpose of which was that Vladimir Obradovic and other candidates should address the citizens gathered outside the City Hall. The police stopped us, however, and at around 9 p.m., hooligans from the Government of Serbia’s recruitment center run by Novak Nedic, joined the rally in order to spark violence. The hooligans were also attacking the protesters trying to stop them from destroying police vehicles and throwing stone blocks at the City Hall building,” Milivojevic said.