Artists claim masked men attacked them while painting over hate speech

An informal group of artists in Belgrade, operating under the name "Sloboda ili Ništa" (Freedom or Nothing), organized an initiative to paint murals on two houses in the Banovo Brdo neighborhood. Their goal was to cover up existing graffiti, including hateful messages and fan slogans like "Rektor u zatvor" (Rector in jail), and beautify the area. The artists had obtained written permission from the homeowners and had notified the police about their planned action.

However, on the evening of July 4th, as the artists began preparing the walls, they allege they were attacked by a group of about 15 masked men. According to Uroš Janjić, one of the organizers, the assailants, dressed in black and wearing masks and caps, hurled insults before destroying the artists' equipment and assaulting them. Marijana Lacalandra, another organizer who is seven months pregnant, stated that one attacker pushed her to the ground, causing her to scream, after which the assailants dispersed.

The artists reported that the attackers had no distinguishing marks on their clothing and that the assault appeared well-organized. Marija contacted the police immediately after the incident, but they arrived approximately 15 minutes later and reportedly only took notes without conducting an on-site investigation. The following day, Marija and Uroš went to the police station with medical reports.

N1 has sent an inquiry to the Ministry of Internal Affairs regarding these incidents. The artists are now awaiting police action to identify the perpetrators of the attack.