How did the extreme right-wing gathering at Sretenje differ from other protests?

Several hundred extreme right-wing people who gathered in front of the Presidency building, joined on Wednesday evening by members of right-wing parties and citizens who oppose the signing of the Franco-German plan, raised the president and the heads of all security services, as well as the police, to their feet. reacted and guarded the Presidency building because at one point the protective fence was breached.

According to the media, one of the organizers of the meeting is the extremist People’s Patrol, whose member was arrested during the day with a carbine with an optical sight, who went to Belgrade. And some members of the right-wing parliamentary parties gathered in the patriot block, consisting of New DSS, Dveri, Poks and Zavetnici, as well as the People’s Party, called for a protest on social networks.

At the rally, among others, there were shouts of “whoever signs, he will be killed”, “we will kill you all”, as well as the fact that the participants are ready for much more than street riots.

The epilogue is the three arrested for the existence of grounds for suspicion that they committed the criminal offense of calling for a violent change of the constitutional order and for the criminal offense of illegal production, possession, carrying and trafficking of weapons and explosive materials, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Serbia announced.

Belgrade media speculate that Damnjan Knežević, the organizer of the meeting, as well as Dejan Zlatanović, the owner and editor of the portal srbin.info, are among those detained.

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, in an extraordinary and dramatic address to the public, after a meeting with his closest associates and members of the security services, does not know who is behind the organizers, does not know if they are pro-Russian, on whose orders they are working, who told them to do it , but he knows that they are anti-Serbian and that there was support in the cache.

He also knows that many in the world will do everything to destroy the stability of Serbia and that they will not allow thugs and extremists, with any protection from the outside, from any side, to threaten the constitutional order of Serbia.

We asked our interlocutors what the interested public could see on Wednesday evening, what makes this gathering different from others and what development of the situation can be expected.

University of Novi Sad professor Bojan Pajtić sees the protest as a semi-alliance that has worked for a long time between the regime and right-wing organizations and groups, and which was put to the test on the subject of the French-German proposal for Kosovo.

• The friendly relationship between Vučić and various national patrols and fan groups has been nurtured for a long time. It dates back to the time when the current progressives were still wrapped in a radical overcoat. Often, the mentioned organizations, side by side with the top of the current regime, coordinated actions against the EU, the USA, the former DOS. After 2012, a good part of these organizations remains officially outside the legislative and executive power, but they act in coordination with SNS, i.e. BIA. Their blade occasionally turned against migrants, sometimes against anti-war NGOs, sometimes against pro-democratic parties. Never before against Vučić himself, or, if they criticized him, it was lukewarm and pro forma – he states.

According to him, the idyll lasted until the moment when the official policy was (despite the declarative pro-European narrative) – unequivocally and strongly pro-Putin oriented.

• At the moment when SNS and the pro-government (that is, almost all) media began to prepare the ground for the acceptance of the French-German proposal. The ideological disagreement, which gained momentum with the holding of Europride, which right-wing organizations explicitly opposed, was further increased by the latest developments regarding the status of Kosovo. That part of the Serbian right which is closer to Putin than Vučić and which is not under the control of the BIA – rose to its feet – he points out.

When asked how things will unfold in the future, Pajtić estimates that the tension will continue, but he does not have the impression that the organizers of Wednesday’s event can seriously shake up the regime.

• The situation could be more dramatic, and the protests more massive, if they were supported by those who are now doing it from the shadows – here, above all, I am thinking of the parts of the Serbian Orthodox Church, which at the moment are much closer to the Kremlin than Andrić’s wreath. Their public and logistical support could cause serious headaches for the Serbian elite, especially since the votes of dissatisfied progressive voters are flowing towards right-wing political parties and the SPS – says Pajtić.

Lawyer and former police commissioner Božo Prelevic thinks similarly. He assumes that the tactical and technical exercise “Treason 2023” took place on Wednesday, organized by the militant part of the SNS.

• Under one, the red ones were the names of the ultra-right and the People’s Patrol, which have been committing criminal acts for years without any sanctions. Under two, the extra observers are part of the citizens who honestly and non-violently see in which direction things are going and under three blue are members of the BIA and the police who, with a coordinated and decisive action, arrested (their favorite right-wingers) and handed them over to the prosecution and the court, which will order them to be detained – he describes for Danas.

As he adds, the demonstration exercise should be spiced up with a sniper with an optical sight, which should be emphasized, although there is no such thing as a sniper without an optical sight.

• Without a sniper in the hands of the reds, whom they carry like wedding guests, you cannot order the blues to be uncompromising on stage. Where the sniper is, he knows who the target or victim is with. The greatest son of our nations without nationality. The headquarters of the action that coordinates the red and blue will be located in a tavern in Senjak. The Prime Minister’s appearance on TV is part of marketing to deter the repetition of protests that are not organized by SNS. The president is likely to give “paternal pardons” to the “dear miscreants” or cash out from the program for small and medium-sized criminal individuals within the framework of economic progress. In this way, the citizens should understand that they should no longer protest now that it is difficult for them – points out Prelevic.

As he concludes, this demonstrative exercise can be spiced up in the media with the Russians, the opposition or the hateful Croats who are behind the overthrow of our dear government, which is why they should be sanctioned in the form of a ban on the import of caviar that has reached its deadline and thereby confirm that we are on the European road.

According to the court of political scientist Dragomir Anđelković, the matter was released from centers close to the government, and it was carried out by people connected to the right.

• Of course, this does not mean that many are not carried away by the atmosphere and turn out to be useful for the regime with things that are extremist. Because all extremism benefits the regime the most – he says for Danas.

He thinks Wednesday’s gathering was just like any other.

• Among the right-wingers, Vučić and his services always have a significant part of people who are in line with them. In one moment, some stories are pushed, in another they are suppressed. And those people who are connected by the task create an atmosphere that is most favorable for the regime. And now they need an atmosphere as if they are under some pressure, that someone is threatening them. On the one hand, to try to send a message to the West that they have internal resistance, and on the other hand, to arouse emotions among Vučić’s sympathizers that someone is threatening him – Anđelković explains.

And political consultant Dušan Lj. Milenkovic told Danas that Wednesday’s protest differs from the previous ones in that it was extremely sparsely attended and that takes away any representativeness from the protest organizers.

• Because, nevertheless, a huge number of Serbian citizens are against the way Vučić is leading the Kosovo process, and yesterday’s turnout was minor compared to that number – Milenkovic concludes.