Hooligans "send message to Serbia's EU bid"

A Ministry of Justice official says the recent hooligan violence in Belgrade and Genoa was in fact a message sent to Serbia's European path. "Someone wishes to show us that Serbia is no ready, not ripe for (joining) EU," Slobodan Homen told B92. Hooligans "send message to Serbia's EU bid" He believes rioting and violence was not caused by individuals and "kids who wish to protest against authorities", but that they are "organized groups that have financial support". "I don't beliee that opposition parties are directly involved, but they are certainly using this situation to demonstrate that the government is weak, and to demand early elections," said Homen. This official furthermore asserted that the goal of the unrest is for "big companies to maintain their monopoly, which they would lose if Serbia joined the EU". "They wish to enclose us in a cocoon, to shame the entire country, to push us all into nothingness," he told B92 Radio in Belgrade on Wednesday. Homen added he did not think the goal of the incidents was to stage a coup and take over power in the country, but to maintain interests that range from drug dealers to monopolies. He described as "logical and possible" media reports that indicted drug boss Darko Saric and Russian extremists were financially behind the groups that organized protests. "This is about organized groups that have someone's financial backing. First we must prove that they are extremist groups, and we did that by monitoring what individuals were doing. If they constantly committed criminal acts that's what we were guided with, and gathered concrete evidence that these groups should be banned," concluded Homen. Slobodan Homen (FoNet, file) Series of events Meanwhile, Belgrade weekly Vreme journalist Slobodan Georgijev told B92 that there were several causes for the hooligan violence in Genoa last night. "Firstly, the atmosphere after the World Cup, that is, the clash between (former Serbia manager) Radomir Antic and (FA chief) Tomislav Karadzic, that went over the top. It was evident in the media how the whole campaign was organized to sack Antic, and it was brutal," says Georgijev. "The (Vladimir) Stojkovic case followed, when he was signed by Partizan. The Red Star fan reaction, in blogs and forums, was terrifying," he explains. The national team goalkeeper, who was yesterday also targeted in Italy, left Red Star this summer to join city rivals Partizan. Georgijev says that "in many places, they wrote 'you'll die' in reference to Stojkovic", but "no one reacted". "All this was followed by the Pride Parade that supporter groups tried to prevent. There's no doubt in my mind these are all the same people. I find it curious that the state is working for a year to solve this problem, and there's no result, things are only getting worse," the Vreme reporter concluded.

Hooligans "send message to Serbia's EU bid"

He believes rioting and violence was not caused by individuals and "kids who wish to protest against authorities", but that they are "organized groups that have financial support".

"I don't beliee that opposition parties are directly involved, but they are certainly using this situation to demonstrate that the government is weak, and to demand early elections," said Homen.

This official furthermore asserted that the goal of the unrest is for "big companies to maintain their monopoly, which they would lose if Serbia joined the EU".

"They wish to enclose us in a cocoon, to shame the entire country, to push us all into nothingness," he told B92 Radio in Belgrade on Wednesday.

Homen added he did not think the goal of the incidents was to stage a coup and take over power in the country, but to maintain interests that range from drug dealers to monopolies.

He described as "logical and possible" media reports that indicted drug boss Darko Šarić and Russian extremists were financially behind the groups that organized protests.

"This is about organized groups that have someone's financial backing. First we must prove that they are extremist groups, and we did that by monitoring what individuals were doing. If they constantly committed criminal acts that's what we were guided with, and gathered concrete evidence that these groups should be banned," concluded Homen.

Series of events

Meanwhile, Belgrade weekly Vreme journalist Slobodan Georgijev told B92 that there were several causes for the hooligan violence in Genoa last night.

"Firstly, the atmosphere after the World Cup, that is, the clash between (former Serbia manager) Radomir Antić and (FA chief) Tomislav Karadžić, that went over the top. It was evident in the media how the whole campaign was organized to sack Antić, and it was brutal," says Georgijev.

"The (Vladimir) Stojković case followed, when he was signed by Partizan. The Red Star fan reaction, in blogs and forums, was terrifying," he explains.

The national team goalkeeper, who was yesterday also targeted in Italy, left Red Star this summer to join city rivals Partizan.

Georgijev says that "in many places, they wrote 'you'll die' in reference to Stojković", but "no one reacted".

"All this was followed by the Pride Parade that supporter groups tried to prevent. There's no doubt in my mind these are all the same people. I find it curious that the state is working for a year to solve this problem, and there's no result, things are only getting worse," the Vreme reporter concluded.