The protests in Belgrade on June 28 turned into a complete mess! The Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade has interrogated ten suspects for violent behavior during the protests at Slavija Square. Two of them have already pleaded guilty and received suspended sentences or house arrest, while the others deny the charges.
Did you know that one of them, Igor J. (33), hit a police officer in the head with a bottle and got eight months of house arrest and a fine of only 40 dinars? Yes, you read that right – 40 dinars! Another, Goran V. (39), threw stones at the police and received a six-month suspended sentence and a 50 dinar fine.
The other suspects are accused of throwing bottles, stones, and even wooden sticks at the police. Some even sprayed police officers from the roof of a kiosk! Zoran L. (48) allegedly kicked and threw bottles at police on King Alexander Boulevard.
The Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office has proposed detention for the suspects to prevent repeated violence. All this is happening in the context of protests that started on Vidovdan and culminated in demonstrators trying to break through the police cordon on Knez Miloša.
This situation raises a serious question: where is the line between the right to protest and violence? And why are the penalties for such attacks on police laughably small? If you feel like justice is on vacation, you’re not alone.
So now, while Belgrade struggles with these riots, what do you think? Are these people heroes fighting for justice or just thugs who deserve harsher punishments? Toss a little stone in the comments, but try not to hit your screen!
