Anti-fascist rally without major incidents

The anti-fascist rally ended in Belgrade on Saturday with only minor incidents reported. 34 persons, foreign nationals among them, were arrested, Serbian police (MUP) said in a statement issued this evening. All were wearing Nazi insignia and were detained for provoking the anti-fascist rally participant. Anti-fascist rally without major incidents Several hundred members of the Anti-Fascist Campaign, gathered in front of the Philosophy Faculty in Belgrade, said that they were "a shield against fascism in Serbia, and that they were there to fight for freedom from oppression, for equality and solidarity". Owing to the danger of neo-Nazis appearing on the streets too, there has been a big police and Gendarmerie presence in the city all day. Addressing the crowd in front of the Philosophy Faculty, Campaign representatives criticized Interior Minister Ivica Dacic for, they said, taking 24 hours to realize that fascists and anti-fascists were not the same, and also his coalition partners who were more concerned with “strutting around the world” than the plight of the poor in Serbia. President of the Union of Jewish Municipalities Aleksandar Necak said that Serbia had never been nor ever would be fascist. “Those neo-Nazis are proponents of an ideology that hanged people in Terazije and threw them under the ice of the Danube,“ he said, adding that neo-Nazis survived because they had the support of a section of the political and religious structures. According to him, the Union of Jewish Municipalities wanted a law passed prohibiting neo-Nazi demonstrations and the display of neo-Nazi symbols. Playwright Jovan Cirilov said that he had marched against fascism as a 10-year-old on March 27, 1941. “Those who boast that they’re patriots are the biggest enemies of the people,” he said. The rally was attended by a number of figures from political and cultural life, including Professor of Political Science Ivo Viskovic, President of the Independent Association of Journalists Nadezda Gace, MPs Nenad Canak, Srdjan Milivojevic, Zeljko Ivanji and Nenad Konstatinovic, President of the Civic Initiative Miljenko Dereta and others. Banners were on display with messages such as “In Defense of Our City Against Fascist Filth“ and “Death to Fascism“, as well as Belgrade and EU flags. At 17:50 CET the crowds set off on a walk to the Belgrade memorial to the victims of fascism in Terazije, where they will pay tribute to all victims of fascist crimes. Ten minutes earlier, the 1389 Movement began their daily walk in protest at the arrest of Radovan Karadzic. Their walk was scheduled to pass by St. Sava Church, and they are being followed by a large police contingent. There was also heavy security around the anti-fascist rally and the police prevented the two groups from coming into contact, though there was a brief exchange of insults and cat-calls as the two groups bypassed each other. Traffic in central Belgrade was halted as a result of the demonstrations. Today's rally (Tanjug) Dacic: Belgrade to be packed with police Interior Minister Ivica Dacic told B92 earlier on Saturday that the police faced a tough job today, as besides the two rallies, there were two sporting fixtures taking place and a concert. “We’ve decided that there are certain security risks and that violence could break out, and that’s why primarily we’ve banned that rally. Having said that, an hour prior to that, the anti-fascists have also scheduled a rally,” said the minister. He called for law and order, but warned that the police would uphold the law. “The police, if needs be, will intervene. They will be clearly visible, several hundred MUP officers will be on the streets in uniform. We’ll endeavour to maintain law and order and, of course, if someone upsets that law and order, they will be sanctioned,” Dacic warned. The police were also on duty at the Pionir sports arena where Red Star basketball club played Slovenian Olimpija. At 20:00 singer Alicia Keys performs at the Belgrade Arena, while 15 minutes later the Serbia-Lithuania World Cup qualifier kicks off at the Marakana. Gendarmes were among thousands of police in the streets of Belgade today (Tanjug)

Anti-fascist rally without major incidents

Several hundred members of the Anti-Fascist Campaign, gathered in front of the Philosophy Faculty in Belgrade, said that they were "a shield against fascism in Serbia, and that they were there to fight for freedom from oppression, for equality and solidarity".

Owing to the danger of neo-Nazis appearing on the streets too, there has been a big police and Gendarmerie presence in the city all day.

Addressing the crowd in front of the Philosophy Faculty, Campaign representatives criticized Interior Minister Ivica Dačić for, they said, taking 24 hours to realize that fascists and anti-fascists were not the same, and also his coalition partners who were more concerned with “strutting around the world” than the plight of the poor in Serbia.

President of the Union of Jewish Municipalities Aleksandar Nećak said that Serbia had never been nor ever would be fascist.

“Those neo-Nazis are proponents of an ideology that hanged people in Terazije and threw them under the ice of the Danube,“ he said, adding that neo-Nazis survived because they had the support of a section of the political and religious structures.

According to him, the Union of Jewish Municipalities wanted a law passed prohibiting neo-Nazi demonstrations and the display of neo-Nazi symbols.

Playwright Jovan Ćirilov said that he had marched against fascism as a 10-year-old on March 27, 1941.

“Those who boast that they’re patriots are the biggest enemies of the people,” he said.

The rally was attended by a number of figures from political and cultural life, including Professor of Political Science Ivo Visković, President of the Independent Association of Journalists Nadežda Gaće, MPs Nenad Čanak, Srđan Milivojević, Željko Ivanji and Nenad Konstatinović, President of the Civic Initiative Miljenko Dereta and others.

Banners were on display with messages such as “In Defense of Our City Against Fascist Filth“ and “Death to Fascism“, as well as Belgrade and EU flags.

At 17:50 CET the crowds set off on a walk to the Belgrade memorial to the victims of fascism in Terazije, where they will pay tribute to all victims of fascist crimes.

Ten minutes earlier, the 1389 Movement began their daily walk in protest at the arrest of Radovan Karadžić.

Their walk was scheduled to pass by St. Sava Church, and they are being followed by a large police contingent.

There was also heavy security around the anti-fascist rally and the police prevented the two groups from coming into contact, though there was a brief exchange of insults and cat-calls as the two groups bypassed each other.

Traffic in central Belgrade was halted as a result of the demonstrations.

Dačić: Belgrade to be packed with police

Interior Minister Ivica Dačić told B92 earlier on Saturday that the police faced a tough job today, as besides the two rallies, there were two sporting fixtures taking place and a concert.

“We’ve decided that there are certain security risks and that violence could break out, and that’s why primarily we’ve banned that rally. Having said that, an hour prior to that, the anti-fascists have also scheduled a rally,” said the minister.

He called for law and order, but warned that the police would uphold the law.

“The police, if needs be, will intervene. They will be clearly visible, several hundred MUP officers will be on the streets in uniform. We’ll endeavour to maintain law and order and, of course, if someone upsets that law and order, they will be sanctioned,” Dačić warned.

The police were also on duty at the Pionir sports arena where Red Star basketball club played Slovenian Olimpija.

At 20:00 singer Alicia Keys performs at the Belgrade Arena, while 15 minutes later the Serbia-Lithuania World Cup qualifier kicks off at the Marakana.