Session of the Novi Sad Assembly Held: Opposition boycotted and disrupted the work, proposals adopted without discussion

After all the agenda items were adopted without discussion, the session of the Novi Sad Assembly was concluded.

Despite the opposition's disruption, the President of the City Assembly, Dina Vučinić, led the session and put the agenda items to a vote.

Before that, opposition councilors stood up from their seats, gathered around the chairperson’s table, raised banners featuring a red hand, and made noise.

Vucinic called on them to return to their seats and participate in the work, while she urged the ruling majority representatives to focus on voting and not respond to provocations.

Opposition: Banners and noise

The Novi Sad City Assembly session began shortly after ten am, with the budget for this year on the agenda.

The session began with a moment of silence for the victims of the fire in North Macedonia.

As reported by Newsmax Balkans, the opposition entered the hall before the session started but boycotted the session itself due to, as they stated, events during the protests in Belgrade and incidents that occurred overnight in front of the Assembly.

Additionally, in an official statement issued by the opposition councilors on Monday, it was stated that they would not attend the session because it was scheduled "today for tomorrow."

Foto: Tanjug/Skupština Grada Novog Sada/Gordana Jović Atlagić

The opposition also emphasized that over a hundred agenda items should have gone through the Assembly's working bodies and be discussed at a broader city level to assess the real needs of the people of Novi Sad.

Dusko Loncar, a councilor from the Green-Left Front in the Novi Sad Assembly, highlighted that members of the riot police used batons to hit the gathered students and threw barriers at them, despite their shouts and pleas to stop beating them, while holding their hands up in a peaceful protest.

"We will fight both on the streets, in blockades, and in institutions where, in coordination with students, we will demand accountability from the regime. We will not back down from this; we owe it to the victims and the students who have been waking up Serbia from the smallest village to the largest cities," Loncar said.

"Excessive Use of Force"

Students blocking the Faculty of Law in Novi Sad commented on the events in the city, stating that the police actions were not in line with the Serbian Constitution and that “excessive force” was used against the students.

Foto: Tanjug/Nenad Mihajlović

Students and citizens gathered in front of the City Assembly unfurled a banner that read "Session on a Day of Mourning?" with a Macedonian flag drawn in the shape of a heart. The students had previously stated that they opposed the session being held on a Day of Mourning due to the tragedy in North Macedonia.

Interior Ministry Comments on the Incident

Regarding the incident in front of the Novi Sad City Assembly during the night, the Ministry of Internal Affairs announced that the police "demonstrated calmness and responsibility despite the intense attack," and they stated that one police officer sustained minor injuries.

"The gathered citizens ignored the clear police order to leave the area, where they were illegally gathered, remove barriers, and allow passage for police officers, who then escorted them away from the building. M. P. (1988) was found in front of the City Assembly, who had been banned from attending public gatherings by the Basic Court in February. He was taken for questioning by the Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office in Novi Sad," the police statement said.

Foto: Newsmax Balkans/Dunja Kovačević

They added that the police showed “a high level of professionalism, calmness, and responsibility, despite the intense attack by the gathered citizens," maintaining control over the situation and doing everything to protect the institution while ensuring the safety of the citizens.

During this incident, they noted, one police officer sustained minor injuries when an unidentified individual attempted to seize his shield.

Young People Welcoming the Dawn in Front of the Assembly

The youth welcomed the dawn in front of the Novi Sad City Assembly, with citizens bringing them blankets, food, and hot drinks. They also set up Styrofoam.

As reported by our reporter, the gathered students and citizens stated that they would remain in front of the building until the end of the session, but did not specify what would happen afterward.

Opposition councilors entered the city parliament building after receiving permission from the citizens and students who spent the night in front of the institution. They showed their councilor IDs, and the police cordon allowed them to enter.

As a reminder, overnight, there was pushing between the police and demonstrators, with the police in riot gear and barriers placed in front of the institution.

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