Parliament Speaker: Opposition Is Entitled to Protest, but in accordance with the Constitution 

Ana Brnabic (BETAPHOTO/MILAN ILIC)

Serbian Parliament speaker Ana Brnabic on Oct. 15 said that during a parliament debate on amendments to the Law on mining and geological explorations last week, the opposition had suffered “an absolute fiasco,” noting that it did not receive a backing even from all of the opposition MPs who had signed the amendments.” 

Speaking to TV Happy, Brnabic said that the opposition had the right to protest, but in accordance with the Serbian Constitution, meaning that they could not be depriving other citizens of their rights – “the right to commuting, spending peaceful time with their families, taking their children to school, or whatever.” 

“Greta Thunberg, who sincerely believes in the struggle for a better environment, has been arrested in Brussels for her intention to block an intersection in the city.  Unlike her, activists in Serbia are unique in the world. We have environmentalists who go to protests and smoke heavily there,” Brnabic noted.

According to Brnabic, environmentalists in Serbia have been promoting clean air action while not quitting smoking, they have been championing a healthy planet and clean environment while wearing mink coats, they have been fighting for the right to clean environment while leaving behind plastic bottles all over, and would drive their cars even for such small distances stretching from Belgrade’s neighborhood Dorcol to Terazije, the central city square.