Head of the Serbian Police Administration: 38 participants of the protest were arrested, a blockade of the Branko bridge is expected today

The head of the Serbian Police Administration, Ivica Ivković, said today that during last night's protests and attempts to forcibly enter the Belgrade City Assembly, 38 people were arrested, who are charged with attempting to forcibly change the constitutional order and violent behavior.

Ivković told RTS that the police are continuing to collect evidence and process the persons who participated in that event, and that it is expected that the number of arrests will increase during the day.

He said that the gathering called by the "Serbia Against Violence" coalition in front of the headquarters of the Republic Election Commission at 18.00:18.55 p.m. had been reported, and that the participants of the protest who went from there to the City Assembly "had their first contact with the police" at 21.50:XNUMX p.m., and that such conflicts lasted until XNUMX:XNUMX p.m.

"At 21.50:XNUMX, the intervention of police officers began, the use of police units was exclusively in accordance with the law. Two police officers suffered serious injuries, one of them is expected to undergo surgical intervention during the day," said Ivković.

He said that representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, at the request of the "Serbia against violence" coalition, had a meeting with the representatives of that electoral list on December 16, the day before the elections, because of "information that there is a possibility of violent intrusion" into state institutions, when they "warned coalition representatives", who denied such information.

"During the day, a blockade of the Ministry of State Administration and Local Self-Government is expected, and after that a blockade on Brankovo ​​Most", said Ivković, who added that "the blockade of bridges will not be tolerated".

Jovanović: Ivković's statement is inadmissible

The president of the New Democratic Party of Serbia (New DSS) Miloš Jovanović said today that the statement of the head of the Police Directorate, Ivica Ivković, that he will not tolerate blockades of state institutions and bridges is unacceptable.

In a written statement, Jovanović stated that citizens have the right to resistance and peaceful protests "even if it was about blocking institutions and roads."

"We call on the government, which is solely responsible for the existing tensions in society, to stop playing with fire and let the citizens express their justified dissatisfaction," said Jovanović.