Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dačić said today that last night’s protest in Valjevo passed peacefully and without major incidents, except for isolated cases, adding that during the demonstration—which he said drew thousands of people and was not officially registered—the police did not intervene unless they were attacked.
“The police were even too defensive and endured much more than police forces in other countries would have. The competent authorities are examining whether there were any issues regarding the use of coercive measures,” Dačić told TV Prva.
As he stated, “No one in the world says that the police always act gently. When you look at how police forces operate around the world, the Serbian police acted very professionally while taking care not to create additional difficulties in these social problems.”
He said that reading out the names of police officers during the gathering in Valjevo, whom the organizers claim beat citizens during a protest in the city a year ago, represents “a continuation of the brutal campaign against the police.”
He stressed that everyone must respect the law, public order, and peace, adding that “the police have one objective—to ensure that every police officer returns home alive and well. The police have no interest in provoking incidents.”
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Source: N1, Foto: Đorđe Đoković; ATA Images