At the beginning of December 2020, dozens of people gathered in the crypt of the Cathedral of Christ's Resurrection in Podgorica, dressed in uniform t-shirts with the inscription "Stupovi Orthodox Brotherhood".
On that day, December 7, the Podgorica police also arrived in front of the Temple and detained several people. All members of the Stupovi Orthodox Brotherhood who were detained for an informational interview were released after hearing at the Podgorica Security Center, but, as they claimed at the time, they were not explained why they had to give statements.
It was the first official gathering of that brotherhood, whose members were also active during litias protesting the Law on Freedom of Religion, but as individuals or smaller groups.
Since then, men and women wearing T-shirts with the inscription "Pillars" can be seen at almost all events related to the Serbian Orthodox Church.
According to "Vijesti" information, they are self-proclaimed orderlies in the temples of the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral, and some of them led the order during the funeral of the late Metropolitan of Montenegrin and Littoral. Amphilochia.
It is unclear whether they do so with the amen of the clergy.
In addition to presenting themselves as "guardians of Serbia and Orthodoxy", the members of the Orthodox Brotherhood "Stupovi" also present themselves as humanitarians and record and publish any assistance they provide on social networks.
The "Pillars" brotherhood, i.e. their members, also formed smaller, local associations, some of which are formally registered, and some of which are informally associated, such as "Tvrdoš", "Miholjski zbor", "Knights of St. Simeon Myrtočivo"...
In their ranks, there are more people with lengthy prison sentences and thick criminal records like Baranin. Stojan Sekulović who was in the group that was detained in December 2020, then Milan Roncevic who was arrested both in Montenegro and abroad where he was serving time, and recently several members were arrested on suspicion of selling drugs.
In the song, the heroes, in the announcement, went for a walk
At the end of last year, members of "Stupov" also gathered in front of the RTCG building to protest the broadcast of the film about the genocide in Srebrenica - "Quo vadis Aida".
At that time, they carried a banner that read "Srebrenica is not genocide".
A self-proclaimed epic poet who was promoted by the media in Serbia as a "hero of litia" and a member of the Orthodox Brotherhood "Zavjetnici Tvrdoš Nikšić" and the Orthodox Brotherhood "Stupovi", Slavko Perosevic he said then that they had gathered to express their dissatisfaction with the broadcast of a film about the genocide in Srebrenica.
"We believe that the crime that happened in Srebrenica cannot be treated as genocide. We, the Serbs from Montenegro, advocate the thesis that we are a nation that survived two genocides in the last two world wars. Around 3 million Serbs died and now genocide is being imposed on a nation that, along with the Jewish people, was the biggest victim of genocide in the 20th century," Perošević said at the time.
Although the Higher State Prosecutor's Office investigated whether any of them, or all those present, committed the criminal offense of inciting religious, racial and national hatred, during the investigation it was established that no criminal offense was committed under their jurisdiction.
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It was Perošević who led a group of dozens of people who, after gathering at Šak Petrović Square and driving around Nikšić on July 13, headed towards the central city square singing the song: "The Turks are wailing, the bulls are wailing, oh lele lele, here is Vule, and serdar Janko is waving a saber, strike brothers, Serbia is ours" and they shout "Serbia", "Russia" and "Kosovo".
At the beginning of the gathering, Perošević says that they are descendants Baja Stanisic i Pavle Đurišić, Chetnik dukes and collaborators of the occupiers in the Second World War.
They were stopped at the entrance to the town square, and after mutual provocations and cursing with those on the other side of the fence, they retreated when they were pelted with various objects and when the police pushed them in the direction they came from.
The epilogue was 17 injured people.
Perošević removed two videos from his Facebook profile, and one of the videos had the description "50 of us, 1.000 of us" and the message "we showed that we are here". Perošević also published a song on Facebook in which he says that he went to the committee with the heroes, that they broke through the cordon and that another person stopped them from meeting the committee.
However, in the statement of the alleged organizers of the gathering on Šak Petrović Square, signed only "Nikšići Serbs", it is stated that their wish was for everything to go well, that they only went to Freedom Square for a walk, "firmly believing that the previous gathering finished and that the gathered citizens dispersed". Part of the media reported that announcement, but Perošević did not publicly distance himself from it.
They announced a blockade that did not happen
Members of those brotherhoods are present at protests in support of Russia and its president Vladimir Putin, and one such event, held in Nikšić at the end of February, was called a rally in support of the "Orthodox people of Russia".
At that rally, they carried the banner "Serbs in Montenegro, Russians in Ukraine" and shouted "Everything is Russia, only Kosovo is Serbia", "Putin's Serbs", Chetnik flags, and Perosevic spoke.
They also protested at the end of January, opposing the minority government, and then, in a proclamation published on the Facebook page of the Miholjsko zbor, they threatened that the formation of a minority government would cause unprecedented chaos in Montenegro.
"The alteration of the electoral will is against the Constitution of Montenegro and in practice it represents extortion, theft and the return of DPS to power. We must not allow this at any cost because it will cause unprecedented chaos in the country. We hope that no smart and honorable person from the ranks of the other parties will think of supporting such an idea, because he will have a black face forever", they wrote at the time, announcing the radicalization of the protest, which includes roadblocks.
That didn't happen.
After less than a month, the members of one of those fraternities invited the current prime minister, the then president, to the celebration. Dritan Abazović, against whose minority government they protested and he responded to the call.
After the celebration of glory, from the non-governmental organization Knights of St. Simeon Mirotočivo announced that they invited all the politicians from the parliamentary majority to the celebration of their association, but that this time they were more appreciated by those who are not of the Orthodox faith.
In October and November 2020, they actively supported the environmental protest to defend Sinjajevina from the establishment of a military training ground.
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