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🇷🇸 Serbia /Culture & Society

Živković Criticizes Nis Protest Organization: 1,000 People Faced 20 Police Officers, but Students Chose Not to Move On

From N1 Serbia · () Serbian

Translated from Serbian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

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  • Former Serbian prime minister Zoran Živković criticized the organization of a student-backed protest in Nis during Aleksandar Vučić’s visit.
  • He said nearly 1,000 protesters faced 15 to 20 police officers, but students decided not to proceed toward the city center.
  • Živković also criticized the absence of opposition politicians and said Vučić avoided meeting local residents.

Zoran Živković said it was entirely natural for citizens and students in Nis to protest Aleksandar Vučić’s arrival. But the former prime minister and Nis mayor sharply criticized how the gathering was organized.

Speaking to Danas, Živković said the protest took place at Crveni Pevac, less than a kilometer from the National Theatre, where members of Vučić’s Serbian Progressive Party had gathered. Nearly 1,000 people attended at the scheduled time, he said, while only 15 to 20 police officers stood between the protesters and the route toward the center of Nis.

In front of almost 1,000 people who had gathered at the scheduled time, there were 15 to 20 police officers, and the students decided not to go toward them.

· Zoran ŽivkovićHe described the confrontation between protesters and police in Nis.

Živković argued that the students should have continued forward, with older people and politicians taking the front line and trying to persuade police to open the way. The students decided to remain where they were instead. "It was their gathering and I did not want to interfere, but I think it could have been organized better," he said.

It was their gathering and I did not want to interfere, but I think it could have been organized better.

· Zoran ŽivkovićHe explained why he criticized the students’ decision to stay in place.

He also mocked the decision by SNS members to meet in a theatre, saying that if they had chosen a theatre, a puppet theatre would have suited their conduct and decision-making better. Živković said Vučić chose Nis to claim he had visited the city, but did not meet its residents. "He passed through here, thank God, like an invisible man," Živković said, alleging that Vučić was moved through secret routes and did not dare appear on the streets.

On the possibility of elections in October, Živković called the issue another test by Vučić and said the next five or six days would show whether calling elections made sense. He also said he saw no opposition representatives at the Nis protest, although deputies, councilors and activists should have attended.

He passed through here, thank God, like an invisible man.

· Zoran ŽivkovićHe criticized Vučić for avoiding public contact in Nis.
About this summary

Originally published by N1 Serbia in Serbian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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