Incident in Novi Sad, Gendarmerie arrest neo-Nazis

A leader of a neo-Nazi group was arrested today after disrupting an anti-fascist rally in Novi Sad. Goran Davidovic and some 20 members of his Nacionalni Stroj group were detained after they hurled stones at citizens attending the rally. Incident in Novi Sad, Gendarmerie arrest neo-Nazis The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights Novi Sad office head Pavel Domonji was hit and taken to hospital with light injuries. B92's assistant cameraman also sustained minor injuries. Riot police and elite Gendarmerie were out in numbers today for the rally, which started at 4 p.m., organized by more than a dozen NGOs, joined by the Democrats (DS), League of Vojvodina Social-Democrats (LSV), G17 Plus, the Liberal-Democrats (LDP), and the Social-Democratic Union (SDU). Last month, Davidovic and his neo-Nazi group announced a rally of their own for today, however, police banned that gathering. After meeting in a town square to hear speeches from activists and politicians, antifascist marchers headed for the Danube River, on the way passing by the spot that Nacionalni Stroj wished to use for their rally. There, a dozen neo-Nazis waited for them, shouting, "Serbia-Vojvodina". Both sides then exchanged insults and offensive slogans, when Gendarmerie officers intervened to prevent physical conflict. After stones were thrown, officers arrested Davidovic and all other present group members, which the antifascist rally participants saluted by shouts of, "Serbia, Serbia". After today's incident, those gathered proceeded to the bank of the Danube River, to place wreaths and light candles at the memorial of the Novi Sad raid victims of 1942, when Hungarian fascists gathered over 1,000 Novi Sad Serbs and Jews, murdering them and throwing their bodies into the river. Late Saturday, assistant chief of the Serbian police directorate, Zeljko Nikac, told B92 that citizens can be confident that police will have Novi Sad under control today. "Vojvodina is a multiethnic region, these values took centuries to build, and now someone is out to disturb that. If there is a breach of public order or an attack on any person, our men [police officers] will react. We have a good unit there and our aim is not repression, but prevention. This also defends the rights of Mr. Davidovic, and the few followers he has," Nikac said. Gendarmerie officers arrest neo-Nazis in Novi Sad (FoNet)

Incident in Novi Sad, Gendarmerie arrest neo-Nazis

The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights Novi Sad office head Pavel Domonji was hit and taken to hospital with light injuries. B92's assistant cameraman also sustained minor injuries.

Riot police and elite Gendarmerie were out in numbers today for the rally, which started at 4 p.m., organized by more than a dozen NGOs, joined by the Democrats (DS), League of Vojvodina Social-Democrats (LSV), G17 Plus, the Liberal-Democrats (LDP), and the Social-Democratic Union (SDU).

Last month, Davidović and his neo-Nazi group announced a rally of their own for today, however, police banned that gathering.

After meeting in a town square to hear speeches from activists and politicians, antifascist marchers headed for the Danube River, on the way passing by the spot that Nacionalni Stroj wished to use for their rally.

There, a dozen neo-Nazis waited for them, shouting, "Serbia-Vojvodina". Both sides then exchanged insults and offensive slogans, when Gendarmerie officers intervened to prevent physical conflict.

After stones were thrown, officers arrested Davidović and all other present group members, which the antifascist rally participants saluted by shouts of, "Serbia, Serbia".

After today's incident, those gathered proceeded to the bank of the Danube River, to place wreaths and light candles at the memorial of the Novi Sad raid victims of 1942, when Hungarian fascists gathered over 1,000 Novi Sad Serbs and Jews, murdering them and throwing their bodies into the river.

Late Saturday, assistant chief of the Serbian police directorate, Željko Nikač, told B92 that citizens can be confident that police will have Novi Sad under control today.

"Vojvodina is a multiethnic region, these values took centuries to build, and now someone is out to disturb that. If there is a breach of public order or an attack on any person, our men [police officers] will react. We have a good unit there and our aim is not repression, but prevention. This also defends the rights of Mr. Davidović, and the few followers he has," Nikač said.