Professor: Serbian Institutions Fail to Protect Citizens, Treat Them Unequally Amid Valjevo Brutality Anniversary

Professor Dušan Spasojević of the Faculty of Political Sciences has sharply criticized Serbian institutions, stating they are doing nothing to protect citizens' interests and do not view them as equals. He pointed to the anniversary of police brutality in Valjevo as a prime example of this systemic failure.

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state and institutions are doing nothing to protect the interests of citizens, and that they do not observe us equally.

Spasojević's comments come as citizens and students prepare to gather in Valjevo to mark one year since violent clashes erupted. The protests began after masked individuals demolished a business, injuring guests, including a minor. The following night, a peaceful gathering of hundreds in Valjevo was met with a police cordon, tear gas, and beatings, with disturbing images of police assaulting young men circulating widely.

Despite reports filed against 28 police officers and 34 citizens, the professor argues that authorities are selectively focusing on the violence that concluded the day, ignoring the events that led to it. He suggests this selective narrative is typical of how authorities and some media outlets frame such incidents, failing to address the root causes or the broader context of state inaction.

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So, the authorities or Politika journalists only write about the violence that ended that day, they are not interested in how the violence came about, they are not interested in what happened in Vrbas a day or two earlier.

The article also touches upon the upcoming elections, with Spasojević noting that key issues like foreign policy and employment will likely determine the results, similar to previous elections. The planned gathering aims to remember those injured and to reiterate demands for accountability, questioning who will ultimately be held responsible for the events of that night.

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This is simply a situation we have been living in for a long time and where it is clear to us that the state and state institutions are doing nothing to protect the interests of citizens and that they do not observe us equally.