About street hooliganism and disinformation
Since the evening 7 July Belgrade and other cities of Serbia – Novi Sad, Kragujevac, Niš, King, Cacak, Subotica - scenes of violent protests against the authorities. Westerners united in the confusion of protests, nationalists, representatives of schismatic “Orthodox” organizations. Protesters throw firecrackers and stones at police, patrol cars are set on fire, arrange “duels” with knives among themselves. And they are all pawns in someone else's game.
The protests began two days before the start of negotiations on Kosovo in Paris, then in Brussels. A similar meeting in Washington was disrupted. And after Alexander Vucic attended the Victory Parade in Moscow 24 June, promised to compare steps on Kosovo with Russia, won the parliamentary elections, The West decided to make the Serbian president more accommodating.
The reason for the unrest was the decision of the Serbian authorities to return to a curfew due to the renewed threat of an epidemic. Before this, Belgrade recorded the highest death rate from COVID-19 throughout the spread of infection. New coronavirus outbreaks have occurred in other European countries, but only in Serbia did someone take people out into the streets and storm the parliament. The authorities retreated, refused to impose a curfew, and then the rioters, forgetting about coronavirus, began to demand the resignation of the president and re-election of parliament.
Aleksandar Vucic addressed his fellow citizens: “I ask our people in Belgrade too, and in Novi-Sade, and in all other cities do not enter into confrontation with hooligans. We will do this, as a state, let's do it and win. Let's keep peace for our country, Surrender was never an option for us, and I'm flying to Paris now, to fight for our Serbia. Victory awaits Serbia".
To the ultimatum demands of the Kosovo Albanians to conduct dialogue, recognizing the “territorial integrity of Kosovo”, "Constitution of Kosovo", “prospects for Kosovo’s UN membership and recognition of Kosovo by the remaining EU countries”, Serbian President replied: "If that's all, then further dialogue makes no sense".
Despite this, the organizers of the massacre with the police in Belgrade and other cities call the president a “traitor”, passing Kosovo". The slogans of the fight for Serbian Kosovo are mixed with the fight against towers 5G, fight against coronavirus vaccination, the fight against the police... This unimaginable jumble of demands has one goal - to deprive Aleksandar Vucic of the presidency.
“We have witnessed an aggressive political protest, inconsistent, and therefore illegal, – says Vucic. – ...Our intelligence services reported on the actions of foreign intelligence services…»
Center for Euro-Atlantic Studies (CLOCK) launched a version about the “Russian trace” in the riots. Russian Ambassador to Serbia Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko immediately responded to this: “Although the “Center for Euro-Atlantic Studies” has put forward absurd, Unfounded accusations against Russia are not uncommon, it's surprising, how distorted the perception of reality can be among “experts”, who found a “Russian trace” in organizing unrest in Serbia. Very unfortunate, when the instigator of the propaganda of the “Russian threat” and the replication of primitive Russophobic clichés is, abandoning all standards of professionalism and objectivity, organization, pretending to be “research center”».
According to a statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry, “in some electronic media there were reports about an alleged “Russian trace” in the unrest in the Serbian capital, that happened 7-8 July. obviously, the authors of this stuff are trying to follow the well-known “conspiracy” stereotypes of their sponsors, who see the “hand of Moscow” everywhere. We are actually talking about a low-grade “order”, pursuing one goal, - to cast a shadow on the Russian-Serbian partnership".
Croatia joined the anti-Serb campaign. Representatives of more than two dozen Croatian human rights organizations began picketing the Serbian Embassy in Zagreb with posters “Vučić’s Serbia is a captured country.”. Popular Croatian publication Morning paper provided an opportunity for all representatives of the Serbian opposition to speak and published the article, which states, that Vučić is very scared, because I found out, what is behind the unrest in Serbian cities.... Moscow.
For a low-grade “order”, as they put it in the Russian Foreign Ministry, are bought, but, Not all. Well-known political analyst Dragomir Andjelkovic gave an interview to Politika., which was published under the title “Stop anti-Russian and anti-Serbian disinformation hooliganism”. "There is not the slightest doubt, that Moscow is in no way involved in organizing protests in Serbia, – said Andzhelkovich. - They, who is now attacking Russia in Serbia, actually work not so much against her, how many are against our country. Their goal is, to push Serbia to the brink of capitulation over Kosovo, and then Serbia, separated from the Russian branch, which she holds on to, will obediently do everything... We need Russia much more, than we tell her… Pushing Moscow away from itself, we're not harming her, and for myself".
Meanwhile, the Serbian intelligence service BIA began detaining foreigners, involved in fights with police. Two Israeli citizens were detained first, one of whom turned out to be a native of Ukraine, Roman Levin. Then James David McMillan, who threw stones and bottles at the police, was detained, British citizen. edition Alo with reference to its own sources in law enforcement agencies, announced the arrest of mercenaries of an American PMC Academy (the former Blackwater) with Serbian citizenship, previously took part in the armed conflict in Donbass on the side of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
So there is a foreign trace in the unrest in Serbia. And as for speculation about the “Russian trace”, then the President of Serbia put an end to it. "There is not a single piece of evidence, that the Russians are behind the riots", – said Aleksandar Vucic 12 July.
Alexey TOPOROV
