Many Belgrade journalists were attacked during Saturday's protest in the city, the Independent Union of Journalists in Serbia announced, expressing "concern" that most of the aggressive actions were carried out by the police, the HINA agency reported, quoted by BTA.
The Independent Union of Journalists in Serbia condemned the numerous attacks, interference in work and acts of intimidation directed at journalists during the protest in the Serbian capital. At the same time, the union called on the Ministry of Interior to urgently conduct an internal investigation and establish the responsibility of the police and gendarmerie officers involved in these incidents.
The Independent Union of Journalists in Serbia also asked the police and judicial authorities to prosecute those who attacked or obstructed the work of journalistic teams.
The union points out that two cameramen from the FoNet agency were physically attacked by members of the gendarmerie, even though their accreditations were clearly visible and they were holding cameras. They were hit several times with batons and police shields during a clash at a central intersection.
A journalist from the newspaper „Danas“ was kicked by a police officer after filming the arrest of a protester, and an assistant for N1 TV was injured during a police operation in which the police beat him despite his accreditation.
A TV crew from “Insider“ was prevented from filming interviews by an aggressive participant in the counter-protest organized by the ruling Serbian Progressive Party in the fenced-off area in front of the parliament. The same person later prevented crews from N1, Newsmax, Al Jazeera, FoNet and “Danas“.
A reporter for N1 was harassed by a man who continuously filmed him with his mobile phone while he spoke loudly and entered the frame.
A journalist for “Vreme“ magazine was kicked out of the entrance of a building where she had sought refuge with protesters after tear gas was used on the street. Despite showing identification, the police forbade her from taking pictures.
The police also did nothing in the case of a Beta news agency correspondent who was harassed by an unidentified person in Pioneer Park, where supporters of President Aleksandar Vucic have gathered since April.
The Independent Union of Journalists in Serbia said that the police's behavior towards journalists during the protest was “unacceptable, worrying and indicative of the ongoing unprofessional and inadequate treatment of journalists“.
“This treatment is not an isolated incident, but another clear sign of the complete collapse of institutional responsibility in this country“, the Independent Union of Journalists in Serbia said, and demanded that the Ministry of Interior act in accordance with the commitments Serbia made when adopting the 2013 UN resolution calling on countries to work towards a safe environment for journalists and media workers, allowing them to do their work freely and independently.
Interior Minister Ivica Dacic announced yesterday that 48 police officers and 22 citizens were injured in clashes during the anti-government protest in Belgrade, 77 people were detained, and 38 of them are under arrest.
According to the organizers, about 140,000 people participated in the rally titled "See you on Vidovden", while according to the Ministry of Interior - less than 40,000.
A wave of protests led by students swept Serbia after the collapse of the canopy at the Novi Sad train station on November 1 last year, killing 16 people. According to the protesters, the tragedy was caused by corrupt practices that led to poor-quality repairs to the station. They want political and criminal responsibility for what happened to be borne.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said in an address to the public after the protest that "Serbia cannot be defeated through violence", TANYUG reported.