Protests Erupt in Niš Following Attack on Faculty Dean
A public demonstration in support of Natalija Jovanović highlights tensions within the academic community in Serbia.
A substantial gathering took place in Niš on Thursday evening, as students and citizens convened at Trg Pavla Stojkovića to express their support for Natalija Jovanović, the dean of the Faculty of Philosophy, who was attacked earlier in the day.
The incident has raised concerns about the escalating targeting of the academic community in Serbia.
During the protest, attendees utilized whistles and vuvuzelas while chanting slogans such as "pumpaj, pumpaj", signaling their discontent with the current political climate.
Protesters emphasized the need for the highest authorities in Serbia to cease what they characterize as a policy of violence directed at not only members of the academic community but also at broader civil society activists advocating for justice and equity.
Đorđe Petrović, a student at the Faculty of Philosophy, articulated the sentiment of collective responsibility among the gathered crowd.
He asserted that the attack on Jovanović was not merely an isolated incident but a manifestation of systemic assaults orchestrated by the current regime, which he claimed has incited violence and unrest in the past months.
The attack on Jovanović involved an assailant, identified as 69-year-old S.C., who reportedly threw a full metal can at the dean before subsequently attempting to stab her, resulting in a cut to her hand.
Following her treatment at a local urgent care center, Jovanović attributed the blame for the attack to Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, suggesting a direct link between her assailant's actions and the inflammatory rhetoric propagated by state officials.
In response to the incident, the Niš police, acting on the orders of the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office, apprehended S.C. on suspicion of engaging in violent behavior during a public event.
The suspect has been detained for up to 48 hours and is set to be brought before a higher public prosecutor in Niš along with a criminal report.
The events of the day underscore a growing unease within the Serbian academic community, with staff members at the Faculty of Philosophy urging a cessation to the targeting rhetoric from political figures, particularly towards those advocating for positive societal change.
The incident has raised concerns about the escalating targeting of the academic community in Serbia.
During the protest, attendees utilized whistles and vuvuzelas while chanting slogans such as "pumpaj, pumpaj", signaling their discontent with the current political climate.
Protesters emphasized the need for the highest authorities in Serbia to cease what they characterize as a policy of violence directed at not only members of the academic community but also at broader civil society activists advocating for justice and equity.
Đorđe Petrović, a student at the Faculty of Philosophy, articulated the sentiment of collective responsibility among the gathered crowd.
He asserted that the attack on Jovanović was not merely an isolated incident but a manifestation of systemic assaults orchestrated by the current regime, which he claimed has incited violence and unrest in the past months.
The attack on Jovanović involved an assailant, identified as 69-year-old S.C., who reportedly threw a full metal can at the dean before subsequently attempting to stab her, resulting in a cut to her hand.
Following her treatment at a local urgent care center, Jovanović attributed the blame for the attack to Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, suggesting a direct link between her assailant's actions and the inflammatory rhetoric propagated by state officials.
In response to the incident, the Niš police, acting on the orders of the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office, apprehended S.C. on suspicion of engaging in violent behavior during a public event.
The suspect has been detained for up to 48 hours and is set to be brought before a higher public prosecutor in Niš along with a criminal report.
The events of the day underscore a growing unease within the Serbian academic community, with staff members at the Faculty of Philosophy urging a cessation to the targeting rhetoric from political figures, particularly towards those advocating for positive societal change.
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