The Police Directorate announced that the traffic blockades, such as those carried out without prior notice in recent days by residents of the Zeta village of Botun and the Podgorica settlement of Park Šuma Zagorič, violate the law and endanger the safety of road users, as well as the rights and freedoms of other citizens.
Residents of Botunja who oppose the construction of a wastewater treatment plant in this Zeta village have blocked several roads in Podgorica and Zeta in recent days, as well as the Bar-Podgorica railway.
Residents of the Podgorica settlement of Park Šuma Zagorič blocked the roundabout in the Podgorica settlement of Zlatica, at the entrance to the highway, for about 40 minutes yesterday, protesting, as they say, the high interest rates charged by the state for paying for state-owned plots of land on which they built houses about 20 years ago.
Both have announced that they will continue to block roads.
"Regarding the gathering of citizens, as well as the blockades of roundabouts, roads, road and rail traffic in the Capital City area, which are carried out without prior notification or announcement to the Police Directorate in accordance with the law, the Police Directorate takes this opportunity to point out to the organizers and participants that by acting in this way, by not reporting the gathering and by taking over the roads on their own initiative, they are violating the provisions of the Law on Public Gatherings and the Law on Road Traffic Safety, and that by unannounced blockades they are directly endangering their own safety, the safety of other road users, as well as the rights and freedoms of other citizens," the Police Directorate said in a statement.
The police remind that, pursuant to Article 60 of the Law on Road Traffic Safety, drivers are prohibited from stopping or parking vehicles at intersections, at a distance of less than five meters from the edge of the cross carriageway, as well as on roads with physically separated carriageway lanes, while, in accordance with Article 91 of the same Law, pedestrians are prohibited from suddenly stepping onto the carriageway, as well as moving or staying on the carriageway, except in cases prescribed by law.
"In this regard, we would like to point out once again that the redirection and closure of road traffic can only be carried out by the police, in accordance with the law and legal authorities, and that such actions must under no circumstances be carried out by citizens on their own initiative," the statement added.
The Police Directorate emphasized that it is of utmost importance, primarily for the safety of the participants in the gatherings themselves, that such gatherings are reported to the police in a timely manner and announced to them in accordance with the law, so that police officers, acting within their authority, can act to maintain the safety of traffic and participants, and take preventive action and prevent any potential endangerment of public traffic and disruption of public order and peace.
"Any other behavior by the organizers and participants of these protests and the exclusion of the police as a partner, which, by acting in a timely manner, would reduce the possibility of violating public order or endangering the safety of persons and road users, as we have stated, calls into question the safety of citizens, and therefore raises the issue of the responsibility of the organizers, should any incidents or unwanted consequences occur during such gatherings. The Police Administration, therefore, respecting the right of citizens to peaceful assembly, reminds the organizers and participants that in exercising their rights they cannot restrict or endanger the rights of other citizens and reminds them that for the sake of security it is necessary to report public gatherings, and that the Police Administration will assess each request individually and take measures and actions accordingly, depending on the situation on the ground. We also once again emphasize the importance of cooperation with the police and partnership so that all citizens can safely use public roads, and peaceful gatherings can be realized without risk to the safety and rights of others," the statement concludes.
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