Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said that next Saturday, March 15, when students have announced a large gathering in Belgrade, the authorities will "sound the alarm" for the protests, meaning that he expects the protest organizers to "throw everything at one card" and "try to do something with violence."
He stated that "all the businessmen, tycoons and politicians" will come to Belgrade on that date, that "they know that their time is running out", that the sale of SBB has been completed and that he expects violence on the streets of Belgrade.
"Then they will realize that it's over for them... They know that they have nothing, that they will have to throw everything at one card, that is, to do something with violence. Then many will end up behind bars who have committed crimes, and the others will realize that the (politicians) who convinced them that it is possible to achieve something with violence - lied to them," Vučić said during a visit to Alibunar.
When asked how institutions plan to prevent violence, the Serbian President stated that the state "cannot prevent violence when someone wants violence," meaning that it can only subsequently arrest and punish the perpetrators.
Vučić added that domestic institutions have been enduring the actions of protesters for four months, and that citizens in all the places he visits "ask him how long (the state) will tolerate this."
"It is important to me that we have shown tolerance and democratic capacity," he said.
The Serbian President also criticized the reporting of Radio Television of Serbia (RTS) during yesterday's events in Pioneer Park, as the public service stated that "a police cordon separated two groups of students."
"They didn't meet at the football stadium and someone separated them, but someone came to beat these children and take them away from there... Why don't you tell the people the truth, aren't you ashamed of not telling the people the truth? But there comes a time when the mud and sediment rise to the surface, but it can't go on like that for long," Vučić said.
Commenting on the citizens who gathered in Kovačica to boo and disrupt his visit, the Serbian President stated that there were "at most 53 of them", that he spoke to ten times more people in the hall, and that the people at the protest were "afraid to hear the truth, because they did not respond to (his) invitation to talk".
He also stated that he expects the attacker of Culture Minister Nikola Selaković to be arrested "tomorrow or the day after tomorrow", and denied allegations by the leader of the Freedom and Justice Party, Dragan Đilas, that the proposed Alimony Fund is exclusively the idea of that opposition option.
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"That was my idea, but I saw that (that opposition party) submitted a bill on the same topic, which was relatively well-drafted. I don't have that problem (recognizing someone's merits), but unlike them, who rely on two of their ideas - one to steal and the other to beat, especially women - I have no problem praising anyone who has a good idea on some other issue. We will enthusiastically accept all good opposition proposals," Vučić said.
Vučić is on a two-day visit to the South Banat and Danube districts today and tomorrow.
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