Novi Sad Councilman Calls for Civil Disobedience, General Strike as of New Year

Misa Baculov (BETAPHOTO/DRAGAN GOJIC)

Starting after New Year’s Eve, we all need to engage in civil disobedience and a general strike until all of our demands are met, Misa Baculov, a member of the Novi Sad City Assembly, said on Dec. 20.

At a gathering called, I Refuse to Live in Fear, held in Freedom Square in Novi Sad, Baculov said that citizens did not want fake elections. Despite bad weather and rain, hundreds of Novi Sad residents attended the rally, where they were invited by Baculov to write their messages of dissatisfaction and hang them on a rope in front of City Hall.

Among the messages addressed to the authorities were: "You destroy, but we are building justice, not profits," "We want experts, not loyalists," "The young teach the old," and "Beware the wrath of the quiet man." The rally began with a moment of silence for the people killed in the roof collapse at the Novi Sad central railway station, followed by the Serbian national anthem.

Speaking about the ongoing student blockades, Baculov emphasized that nothing but unity and solidarity could save the citizens from the ongoing chaos. "Forget vacations, forget loans, freedom is not for sale," he added.