Democrats on graffiti in Bijelo Polje: It's high time for the state to react to every form of national and religious hatred

The Democratic Montenegro parliamentary group condemned the graffiti "Serbs on willows" in Bijelo Polje, stating that the graffiti represents unacceptable hate speech and a direct attempt to incite national tensions.

"It is particularly worrying that such messages appear precisely in a city that has been an example of interethnic harmony, coexistence and mutual respect for decades. Bijelo Polje has shown throughout its history that diversity can be an asset, not a reason for division. Therefore, such outbursts do not represent the spirit of this city, but an attempt to disrupt peace, trust and good relations between citizens," the statement said.

In light of the events in Pljevlja, which have also disturbed the public, they add, it is becoming clear that it is high time for a decisive, consistent and unambiguous reaction by the state to every form of national and religious hatred.

"If we strive for a society of equals, then the same standards must apply to everyone. Hate speech, threats and messages calling for violence must be sanctioned without exception and regardless of who they are addressed to and who committed them. We call on the competent authorities to urgently identify and prosecute those responsible for this shameful act, but also to clearly demonstrate that in Montenegro there is no place for double standards when it comes to protecting the rights, dignity and safety of all citizens. Only by consistently applying the law and by principled condemnation of every form of hatred can we preserve interethnic harmony and prevent individuals from endangering peace and coexistence with their actions," it was announced.