• 2025-07-03

Press release of the National Convention on the European Union regarding the Excessive Use of Force Against Protesters

National Convention on the European Union

The police’s brutal crackdown on protesters in Belgrade last night marks the culmination of an escalating pattern of repression against citizens exercising their right to peaceful protest. This escalation is not an isolated incident. It follows months of peaceful gatherings that began as a response to the tragic collapse of a station canopy in Novi Sad, which the authorities systematically ignored, discredited, and subjected to media smear campaigns.

Since the mass civic protest on June 28, we have witnessed a deeply concerning trend of intensifying repression – from selective arrests and the presence of unidentified individuals within police ranks to the increasingly blatant use of excessive force against citizens, students, and, most troublingly, high school pupils.

Of particular concern is the presence of individuals without visible identification within police units who have been involved in breaking up protests. There are credible concerns that some of these individuals are not part of the regular police force. At the same time, there has been a noticeable absence of police intervention during gatherings organized by the ruling party, which have included masked individuals carrying dangerous weapons and unmarked vehicles. This is further destroying public confidence by politicizing the role of security forces.

At a time when Serbia claims to be committed to the European path, these scenes of brutality, violence, and the erosion of civil liberties send a fundamentally opposite message. Yesterday, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights reacted to developments in Serbia. It is imperative that the European Commission also recognize the gravity of the situation and publicly respond. Silence in the face of such violence only enables its normalization.

This spiral of repression must be urgently halted, and the responsibility lies squarely with the state, which has the authority, means, and duty to act. If it fails to do so, the crisis Serbia is facing will deepen, and the polarization of society will reach alarming proportions. It is up to the state to decide whether to respond as a democracy or as a regime that uses force to silence the voices that call it to account.

Source: NCEU