MUP tells anti-fascists to pick another venue

Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said Thursday that police have banned the announced neo-Nazi rally in Belgrade, "but not the anti-fascist one". But, the organizers of the latter have been asked to "choose another venue". MUP tells anti-fascists to pick another venue "At the insistence of the public prosecutor, the police have acted within its powers and decided to ban the rally whose organization was demanded in writing by one Zlatan Stojanovic. Our checks have revealed that this person has links to organizations which are alleged to be pro-fascist and the police have banned that rally," Dacic told journalists. He stated that, in the meantime, a new request arrived today for another rally, an anti-fascist one, to be held in the same venue. "It is impossible for the police to do thier work trapped in the crossfire, and we have asked the organizers of the anti-fascist rally to chose another venue, because the police have to do their job and intervene," Dacic said. He underscored that MUP can "ban the rally and intervene" but that " police do not conduct policies". "This is not a police stand, but a political one. We must avoid turning Belgrade into a battlefield once again. Since we have banned the fascist rally, the anti-fascist one is a response to it and no one is banning it. We are simply asking them to gather somewhere else. I will be the first one to take part in the anti-fascist rally, but we are speaking about preventing clashes in the city," Dacic stated. B92 learned earlier from the police that both rallies will be banned for security reasons. After the announcement by ultra-Right organizations such as Blood and Honor and National Formation that they would be organizing a “Serbian March 2008”, the Anti-Fascism Campaign organization reacted, scheduling a rally at the same location, to be held one hour before the start of the neo-Nazi groups’ rally. “MUP will not allow either of the rallies to be held that day and we will not let Nazi and pro-fascist ideas be promoted in Belgrade or anywhere else in Serbia,” Dacic was quoted as saying earlier. Anti-Fascist Campaign Spokeswoman Milica Djordjevic told B92 that the police had yet to give an official reason for prohibiting their rally, adding that they had been very surprised by the decision. “We are taken aback because of the fact that, in some way, fascism and anti-fascism are being equated, the values that we espouse, such as tolerance, non-violence, the right to be different, they are seen to be as much of a threat as the fascist rally,” Djordjevic said. Ombudsman Sasa Jankovic did not want to comment on MUP’s decision last night. He said that the state must work on a long-term strategy to fight fascism and similar organizations. “If all we do is impose police bans, that could have a negative effect,” he said. “To reach our final goal, what is of key importance is the success of measures focused on strengthening real, long-term social values such as bringing back the importance of child rearing, education, and improving its quality and availability, the fight against discrimination and the fight for people’s dignity in all places and in all situations, strategies for the young…,” Jankovic explained. “Without the success of these long-term measures, bans could have negative consequences too,” he warned. The decision to ban both rallies was supported by Human and Minority Rights Minister Svetozar Ciplic. He said that the ban had been expected because the authorities had come to the conclusion that people’s rights could be potentially violated at such rallies. The failure to apply laws properly is borne out by recent experience. No action has yet been taken against individuals who threw stones at participators during an anti-fascist rally in Novi Sad last October. The case is still in the pre-investigative phase. After the incident at the Philosophy Faculty in Novi Sad last year when members of the National Formation organization broke up an anti-fascist rally, many believe that the punishment handed out to them was nothing more than symbolic. The Vojvodina League of Social Democrats submitted a proposal to parliament for the prohibition of neo-Nazi gatherings, stating that they constituted an abuse of the constitutional right to free speech. In order to put a stop to protests by ultra-Right organizations, where hate speak and violence usually abound, the Law on Prohibiting Gatherings must be brought into accordance with the Constitution, says former Constitutional Court President Slobodan Vucetic. “There is a broad basis in the Constitution which requires, enables and simply forces old laws to be amended as soon as possible. Especially in the sphere of limiting public gatherings when it is thought that the meeting could encroach on the rights of others,” he said. “And, there’s no doubt that the activities of a pro-fascist organization in a public place compromise the rights of others, as this is a democratic country where the incitement of racial, religious and other forms of hatred is outlawed,” adds Vucetic. A file photo of last year's pro and anti fascist gatherings in Novi Sad (FoNet)

MUP tells anti-fascists to pick another venue

"At the insistence of the public prosecutor, the police have acted within its powers and decided to ban the rally whose organization was demanded in writing by one Zlatan Stojanović. Our checks have revealed that this person has links to organizations which are alleged to be pro-fascist and the police have banned that rally," Dačić told journalists.

He stated that, in the meantime, a new request arrived today for another rally, an anti-fascist one, to be held in the same venue.

"It is impossible for the police to do thier work trapped in the crossfire, and we have asked the organizers of the anti-fascist rally to chose another venue, because the police have to do their job and intervene," Dačić said.

He underscored that MUP can "ban the rally and intervene" but that " police do not conduct policies".

"This is not a police stand, but a political one. We must avoid turning Belgrade into a battlefield once again. Since we have banned the fascist rally, the anti-fascist one is a response to it and no one is banning it. We are simply asking them to gather somewhere else. I will be the first one to take part in the anti-fascist rally, but we are speaking about preventing clashes in the city," Dačić stated.

B92 learned earlier from the police that both rallies will be banned for security reasons.

After the announcement by ultra-Right organizations such as Blood and Honor and National Formation that they would be organizing a “Serbian March 2008”, the Anti-Fascism Campaign organization reacted, scheduling a rally at the same location, to be held one hour before the start of the neo-Nazi groups’ rally.

“MUP will not allow either of the rallies to be held that day and we will not let Nazi and pro-fascist ideas be promoted in Belgrade or anywhere else in Serbia,” Dačić was quoted as saying earlier.

Anti-Fascist Campaign Spokeswoman Milica Đorđević told B92 that the police had yet to give an official reason for prohibiting their rally, adding that they had been very surprised by the decision.

“We are taken aback because of the fact that, in some way, fascism and anti-fascism are being equated, the values that we espouse, such as tolerance, non-violence, the right to be different, they are seen to be as much of a threat as the fascist rally,” Đorđević said.

Ombudsman Saša Janković did not want to comment on MUP’s decision last night. He said that the state must work on a long-term strategy to fight fascism and similar organizations.

“If all we do is impose police bans, that could have a negative effect,” he said.

“To reach our final goal, what is of key importance is the success of measures focused on strengthening real, long-term social values such as bringing back the importance of child rearing, education, and improving its quality and availability, the fight against discrimination and the fight for people’s dignity in all places and in all situations, strategies for the young…,” Janković explained.

“Without the success of these long-term measures, bans could have negative consequences too,” he warned.

The decision to ban both rallies was supported by Human and Minority Rights Minister Svetozar Čiplić.

He said that the ban had been expected because the authorities had come to the conclusion that people’s rights could be potentially violated at such rallies.

The failure to apply laws properly is borne out by recent experience. No action has yet been taken against individuals who threw stones at participators during an anti-fascist rally in Novi Sad last October. The case is still in the pre-investigative phase.

After the incident at the Philosophy Faculty in Novi Sad last year when members of the National Formation organization broke up an anti-fascist rally, many believe that the punishment handed out to them was nothing more than symbolic.

The Vojvodina League of Social Democrats submitted a proposal to parliament for the prohibition of neo-Nazi gatherings, stating that they constituted an abuse of the constitutional right to free speech.

In order to put a stop to protests by ultra-Right organizations, where hate speak and violence usually abound, the Law on Prohibiting Gatherings must be brought into accordance with the Constitution, says former Constitutional Court President Slobodan Vučetić.

“There is a broad basis in the Constitution which requires, enables and simply forces old laws to be amended as soon as possible. Especially in the sphere of limiting public gatherings when it is thought that the meeting could encroach on the rights of others,” he said.

“And, there’s no doubt that the activities of a pro-fascist organization in a public place compromise the rights of others, as this is a democratic country where the incitement of racial, religious and other forms of hatred is outlawed,” adds Vučetić.