As everyone guessed, violent conflicts between Serbian police and football hooligans, thugs and children with nothing better to do have taken place during the pro Radaovan Karadzic rally in the centre of Belgrade. I’ve just watched a section of those present at the meeting in Republic Square (Trg republike) broke off and began throwing rocks, sticks, fireworks, homemade bomb-like devices. They also smashed a couple of shop windows on Makedonska street, destroyed traffic lights, street signs, and rubbish containers
Honestly, half of those guys fighting the police looked 16 years old. They weren’t even alive, or just had a few years, during the Yugoslav wars. What exactly do they identify with? What has it even got to do with them? I understand to some extent the older generation still believing Karadzic is a war hero – but these kids are just looking to cause trouble and in doing so completely cancel out the message the peaceful protesters want to make and the Radical Party of Serbia and their allies just loose even more credibility.
The centre now looks a complete mess. Hopefully, those caught by the police will face the full brunt of the law – they need to finally realise that they can’t cause violence in the city centre whenever they feel like it.
I’ll write more about the protests in a bit once more information becomes available.
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