Demonstration against migrants and counter-demonstration in Belgrade, the two sides were separated by the police (PHOTO) – Society

Tonight a meeting of supporters of the “People’s Patrol” organization and a counter-meeting of leftist organizations took place in the park next to the Faculty of Economics in Belgrade. To avoid incidents, the groups were separated by a cordon made up of dozens of police officers equipped to break up the demonstration.

The organization “Patrulla del Pueblo” previously announced on social networks the action “Let’s clean the park near the Faculty of Economics”, with a photo of that place where migrants and asylum seekers are usually seen, requesting their expulsion from the park .

As a countergroup, sympathizers from various leftist organizations appeared, with the message “Solidarity Tea”.

Supporters of both groups exchanged messages, chanting “death to fascism and capitalism” on the one hand, and “red gang” and “Ustasha” on the other.

State of affairs. #protest #refugees #narodnepatrole #left pic.twitter.com/Ch28Ds8DXo

– Vanja Djuric (@Vanjuus) October 25, 2020

Members of the “People’s Patrols” carried flags reading “Kosovo is Serbia”, “Do not surrender” and a banner in English with the slogan “Terrorists are not welcome”, as well as a black flag with a human skull.

The other side had red flags and the banner “Welcome, popular action against bullies.”

Through Belgrade, where all good people are welcome. pic.twitter.com/dqLYtMLM1o

– Dobrica Veselinovic (@dobrinacelnik) October 25, 2020

The leader of the self-proclaimed “popular patrols”, Damnjan Knezevic, said today at the protest that he and his followers would “take matters into their own hands and start cleaning their yards” because the system does not work and those who pay do not defend the Constitution.

Knezevic promised that from today “thousands and thousands of people” will be a “popular” patrol in the cities of Serbia, and noted that citizens gathered to defend themselves against the system signed by the Marrakech and Dublin agreements “according to which they want by 2025 750,000 immigrants settled in Serbia “.

He asked those gathered what those people would be like if they were allowed to “stab people in Belgrade and other cities with knives” and added that citizens “have the right” to react “when they hear” that someone has been attacked, and that they “have the right. a Knežević said that the members of the “popular patrols” were called racists and fascists, although they “saved the life of a migrant at the Faculty of Economics.”

Knezevic’s speech was preceded by verbal shots from his supporters with a group of citizens who came to express their solidarity with the refugees, “against violence, hatred and racism.”

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