Students, high school pupils, and citizens of Valjevo are organizing a large protest today in this city on the Kolubara River, as a reminder of the brutal police violence against Valjevo residents six months ago, for which no one has yet been held accountable. The students have prepared a detailed plan and program for the gathering, and below you can see what it will look like.
Students studying in Valjevo, as well as those originally from the city who study at other universities, announced several weeks ago a large protest on February 14 in Valjevo.
They soon announced that Valjevo high school pupils, as well as citizens, would also join the organization of the gathering.
The reason for the protest is the marking of six months since unprecedented police violence against citizens in Valjevo, which shocked the public in Serbia. That August, Valjevo residents were brutally beaten, while masked thugs stormed into shops and venues, smashing everything in front of them.
Protest Plan
Students participating in the organization of the protest explained to Nova.rs what today’s events in Valjevo will look like.
According to them, the gathering will begin at 4:30 p.m. in front of the Valjevo Gymnasium.
Due to the expected crowds, the recommendation is that everyone interested arrive on time.
“After we all gather in front of the school, a high school student will deliver a speech. We won’t reveal the topic yet, but of course it will address the reminder of the savage beatings of our fellow citizens,” the students told us.
From the Gymnasium to the City Square
Once the high school student’s speech ends, a protest walk will follow to the City Square, where, as the students add, there will be a reflection on everything that happened on August 13, when thugs broke in and demolished the café “Romana.”
Next Stop — MUP Valjevo
The next “stop” will be the MUP Valjevo, where speeches will also be held.
“We call on everyone who has supported us all this time to come and together remind the authorities that no one has been held accountable for the brutal conduct of the police. That is why we are going to the police station, or rather in front of it, to remind them of what they did.”
Students, pupils, and citizens will then walk to the “Eurocentar” supermarket, where, they add, they will recall how police officers dragged people out of a bakery, beat them, and detained them.
“That night, police used unprecedented force against young people who did not resist arrest, and officers detained everyone they encountered, even pulling people out of venues and beating them,” they say.
They add that the Emergency Center was full that evening with people who came from all sides and described how they were dragged out of taxis and bakeries and beaten for no reason at all.
“One taxi driver ran into a blockade, the police stopped them, pulled young men out of the car and brutally beat them. They literally went one by one, pulling people out of venues, beating and arresting them without any reason. Is that normal? No. Has anyone been held accountable for that? No,” the disappointed students ask.
March to the Court
A protest walk to the Basic Court in Valjevo is also planned.
For now, it is known that one student will speak in front of the Court building.
Final Stop — City Square and “Presedan”
According to the students, the protest will end at the City Square with a screening of the film Presedan.
“For those who don’t know — and we believe there are few — ‘Presedan’ is a documentary by Tamara Aćimović which, through victims’ testimonies, lawyers’ statements, and authentic footage created amid the chaos of that night, depicts an unprecedented event in the history of Valjevo and Serbia, showing how a local tragedy exposes the mechanisms of a deeply criminalized government,” they remind.
They emphasize that the night was an open attempt at intimidation and suppression of student and civic protests, during which more than 40 people were brutally beaten during the police intervention, including seven minors, most of whom did not participate in the protest at all.
“No Valjevo resident will ever forget that night, not even those who were not present but watched and listened from their windows. Unprecedented terror was carried out, human rights were violated, and there was an absolutely excessive use of force against people who offered no resistance during arrest,” they stress.
Who Is Coming
Sources from our portal say that a large number of colleagues from other cities have registered to be with them today and provide support.
“We are all in this together, so we weren’t surprised when we received confirmations of where our colleagues are coming from. For now, we know that organized arrivals are coming from Belgrade, Novi Sad, Čačak, Užice, Bajina Bašta, Kraljevo, Kragujevac, Stara Pazova, Sremska Mitrovica, Subotica, Šabac, Kikinda… Valjevo remembers, and students do not forget,” they said.
Transport Provider Jaćimović Also Arriving
According to the students, transport provider Milomir Jaćimović, known for providing free transport for students and citizens to protests across Serbia, is organizing transportation for citizens from Srem.
“Srem has responded to our call, and of course Mr. Jaćimović stepped in without hesitation, and we thank him for that. He is bringing people to the protest from Stara Pazova, Inđija, Ruma, Sremska Mitrovica, and Šabac,” the students told us.
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Source: Nova, Foto: Ata images